Legend of the Twin Eclipse: Part One
by RazzBerrieCharm
Summary: Tea is being stalked by several people who think that she is the one holding the legacy of the Fallen Twins. At the same time when the Council of Roses is declaring war on anybody who opposes them. Can Tea handle this by herself or by a certain somebody?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my second fanfic...the first one...don't even bother...yeah...sooo i hope that you will enjoy this first part of a quartet...if it will even live THAT long. So enjoy and please review**

"Get back here!"

"Come and get me you piece of meat"

Yet again, Tea is getting pissed off by a demon. Being a bounty hunter and all is getting to her nerves.

As they were both running, Atem couldn't help but grin. The demon was just a useless level two, yet Tea still chases after it. The demon looked like an ordinary middle aged human male but it was still the human hungry monster on the inside. Atem was impressed. He was up to what seems to be the highest building Dark City. His cloak made him invisible to humans and hunters. It took a lot of his magic to make it that way but a lot more on getting over to this time...

"Stop dammit!"

"Ha ha, too slow!"

From up high it seemed like a cop chasing some lousy criminal. Atem hoped that the other humans in the area could see it that way. What he didn't hope for is for Tea to figure out that the demon she was chasing was a level two demon. There are not worth much and almost everybody else would hunt a level one, even though their much weaker. Their still worth more since their hidden abilities cause them to be stronger than level two. Tea must really need the money right now. Atem made a mental chuckle and jumped down to help.

'After this battle, I'm going to stop wearing high heel boots...' Tea thought for a second and grabbed her gun from her belt.

Their both at an alley and the demon is basically trapped. She got closer to it until the demon shed the human skin and showed his real form. A giant, olive colored beast with pure green hair that stretched to his knees. A loathsome creature that it was, Tea couldn't help but grin. She pointed her gun to to the demon and shot it in the head before it could move. It dropped dead and behind him was the vampire and his "special cloak." Before she could think of her next action, her gun was already on the floor.

"I guess your speed isn't all that great, is it miss Tea Gardner," Atem was in front of the twenty-four year old hunter. She was wearing a leather, black jacket over a blue top, as well as black shorts with her belt that has a purse with her daggers. Her black, high heel boots just a few feet away from kicking the vampire.

"You need a special permit to be in Dark City...and this isn't really my speed."

"So I'm a vampire and here you are...acting more like a-"

"Not just because you're a vampire but because its the damn LAW!"

Atem wanted to change the subject back to her unique "abilities" but it was stopped by an unexpected visitor. He quickly jumped to the building behind him.

"Hey wait!"

"Wait for what?"

Tea turned around while groaning to herself. It was Lucifer, captain of the Orange Crest.

"I see that you got yourself a dead friends to talk to," he was talking about the giant that was about a minute dead. Tea looked at the giant and sighed. She got her cell phone and dialed at "Pick-Up" office at Cerulean Flower, the all-girl bounty guild.

"_Hello?_" it was Jacob, the only boy working in Cerulean Flower.

"Its me, Tea, I got a level two giant...," she looked closer at the dead beast, "make that a cyclopes, how much do you think its worth?"

_"...Tea, is Lucifer there?"_ Tea would always make a useless conversation to Jacob whenever Lucifer is there, just to make him go away.

"Yes, I know they're not worth much, but, you know, I keep forgetting...and stuff..."

_"...Just tell him to go away..."_

"No,no, THAT much, are you kidding me?!"

_"...I'm hanging up now...,"_ Tea was about to stop him until she heard that he really hang up.

"Sooo...how's life?," Lucifer wasn't that bad, looking. He is admired by almost everyone. His long, blond hair tied up by a black ribbon. His long, black jacket over everything else that was black. His shirt, pants,and boots. Besides his hair, his sapphire colored eyes gave off color, that really attracts the girls. They looked so gentle, yet it was full of mischief if you looked closer.

Tea just looked at him. She despised him, not only is he in charge of the Orange Crest, but he is also a member of the Council of Roses. A mercenary group that once worked for the government, but now they are the government. They were just too powerful for the peace loving law makers of the the continent of Altomare. Furthermore, he is in love with her and wants to marry her.

"...Getting worse, when you're near me!"

"Now I'm hurt...," Lucifer pretends to be dramatic and put his hand over his chest and sprouted out his goldenrod colored wings. He was a level four vampire, the most powerful of their kind. And the ones that are actually wort more.

"Why don't we just become friends?"

"You're definition of friends, is wives, and my answer is no and it always will be!"

As the captain "falls" to floor, Tea looked at the building behind her to see the other vampire she had to deal with. She sensed that he was an old vampire, she was just impressed by the way he jumped.

Atem on the building alright, he loved being entertained by a little love story between a vampire and a human. 'I guess I have to tell her later,' with that in mind he jumped off the other side while the hunter just stood there and watch.

At the meantime, Lucifer was on the floor with his wings surrounding him. Tea just looked at him and signed.

'Why me?...'

**Hope you enjoyed it. I will only write the second chapter if there are five reviews!!!**

**see you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter number 2 hope you enjoy it and thanks for those people who have reviewed. here is your reward!!**

Tea woke up from what seemed like a long hangover but how? As her vision go better, she found herself on a red Ducati 999 motorcycle. To make matters worse, the driver was Lucifer and he was hugging her...

The blond smiled, "to think I have to find you asleep at New Day Bar is something but with another young vampire?"

She looked at him and blinked, "if you kidnapped me, I'm going to kill you."

"Now, now, I helped you. You see, when I entered the bar, you were there asleep and for some reason there was a vampire with you. I told him him that you were my friend and that I could take you home since were sleeping like a drunk."

'I was asleep, with a vampire?,' then Tea gasped and remembered what happened.

_As Lucifer was "crying," Tea began to follow the other vampire. She sense he was close by._

_"That was pretty mean of you."_

_Tea turned around and found the hooded vampire._

_"Yeah, well I do it all the time. What is it to you? Do you work for him?"_

_"Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I work for the Orange Crest. Besides its too much work."_

_'He's one freaky weirdo...,' Tea just couldn't believe him. He's too powerful to not work with the Orange Crest. With something so devastating coming up, she thought that all your four companies of the Council would be excepting anyone to work for them._

_"I'm going to say it again and you better have a good answer, do you have a permit to be here in Dark City?"_

_"No," he then pulled down his hood to show his face to the hunter, " but I think going for a drink will do you some good. Do you want something to drink? My treat."_

_Tea just couldn't stop looking at the vampire. She couldn't help, he looked just like her friend from back home. Everything except he is way older and he has crimson eyes. 'If he wasn't so old looking he would a true looking vampire,' thought Tea._

_He smiled," I thought only Law Knights are supposed to ask for permits?"_

_Tea gasped. He was right. She turned around while bitting her lower lip. In reality, she was a undercover Law Knight pretending to be a bounty hunter working for Cerulean Flower. She started to walk back to the dead giant cyclopes when the vampire grabbed her arm._

_"Listen, there is something I need to tell you. There is a bar close by and we can talk there. I won't tell anyone from Cerulean Flower about working for the Law Knights, just please, listen to me..."_

_Tea would have if her arm wasn't freezing and her brown hair was almost standing up. The vampire notice this and let go. He gave her a quick apology and started walking to the bar he mentioned. She recognize the bar he was talking about, she used to go their when she was a bounty hunter._

_New Day Bar. A perfect meeting place for monsters, humans and anybody else who has nothing to do at two o'clock in the morning. As the vampire and the former hunter got closer to the bar, Tea couldn't help but wonder..._

_"My name is useless for the time being."_

_"Why," she knew that some vampires can read minds if they wanted to,_

_"Because I said so," he turned back to look at Tea and smiled. This in turn made Tea's heart beat faster and made her blush a little. She shook her head and sped up toward the bar. She never felt this way toward any guy who was around her, not even...him..._

_"Then just tell how old you are."_

_"And we're here."_

_Tea, without noticing, was in front of the New Day Bar. It hasn't really change since she was here. It looked like a little two-story red house._

_"As to your question, I'm three-thousand years old. To the human eye, I look like a forty-two year old," he add another one of his gentle smiles and entered the bar. Tea just stood there with the thought of having some old vampire in a popular bar that could lead to people believing to be her father. She just smacked her forehead, called herself stupid and entered the bar._

_She looked around and saw what hasn't changed in eight years: demons fighting, vampires sucking to what appears to be dead bodies and small but strong dragons sleeping on the floor. Yep, nothing has changed. Tea looked around and saw the old vampire sitting on a stool in front of the counter. She joined him and sat next to his left._

_"I'm here and I'm waiting for what you're going to tell me."_

_"My name is...Izumimiya..."_

_"I thought that you na-wait, Izumimiya?!," Tea heard of a powerful vampire clan when she was with the hunters of the same name. Could he really be a member of that clan? She thought for a moment at the same time ordering a simple beer. Izumimiya ordered white wine._

_"So, you do work for Lucifer."_

_The vampire stared at her, "I said it before, I don't but other members of my family do."_

_"Then you're going to tell me about the Destruction War?," Tea actually had a feeling about why he was here. The Destruction War, it has been a war fought almost every year in the other four continents. Nobody knew this, but the Council of Roses were once leaders of the other four continents as well. They became leaders to become stronger and destroy anything they think is "wrong." Only two continents faced severe destruction, West America and Magvel. The reason not many people know about this is because the Council think too quickly. It's made out of ten retired human warriors of the all Five Lands of Earth. Nobody knows about this because the Council is always about one step ahead. Former leaders tried to warn the other lands but they are either in hiding or dead. Its now Altomare's turn and only a few people know about the warning. Its still not enough to stop the stop the Council of Roses._

_Tea ordered another beer and drank it all in one gulp, "I don't need your damn pity. Your a vampire for Pete's sake. Only humans fight these kinds of wars."_

_"That's not what I want to talk to you about, its something even more important," the vampire took a sip and turn to Tea, "have you heard of something called the Necklace of the Stars?"_

_The former hunter stared at the old vampire._

Tea doesn't know if she should just continue to look at the road or just answer Lucifer's question that he had asked a couple a minutes ago. They were both close to her hometown of Sunset Town. Sometimes she wishes she wasn't always that nice to men.

"Well, do you want to go back to get your car or keep going till we reach your place and make out?"

Sometimes she just wishes to punch him in the face, "yeah, I just finished paying for it, there is no way in hell that I'm going to pay for a new one...too much work."

With that said, the captain made a u-turn and headed strait to Dark City.

**the motorcycle that Lucifer rides is actually the one i want for my eighteen b-day...i might never get it...oh and i'm actually in the middle of writting chapter three**


	3. Chapter 3

**here is chapter three and the following things to NOT belong to me...which i completely forgot to write in the last two chapters...i do not own YGO and the song 'An Honest Mistake'...the song belongs to The bravery...which are the best band ever...just read...**

****

"Are you sure you can drive?," it took them ten minutes to figure out where Tea had parked her car. Lucifer is a bit worried since she still looks weary. She ignored his question and got to her silver Ford Focus. As she started the engine, the captain tapped her window and waved with a smile. Tea just drove passed him back to the road to Sunset Town. She still couldn't believe what Izumimiya told her and more importantly what he had done to her.

_"The Necklace of the Stars?," Tea just looked at the old vampire and shook her head, "Isn't that a "key" to find the ancient treasures that the Fallen Twins used to stop the very first Destruction War over five-thousand years ago?"_

_"Not only that, it is said that with the ancient treasures, it is ensured that it could stop any war."_

**'People-they don't mean a thing to you,'**

_Izumimiya continued talking even with the loud music, " My clan thinks...that you're wearing it around your neck..."_

**'They move right through you, just like your breath,'**

_Tea didn't know what happened next. One moment she was holding her beer, the next it was on the floor and the shattered glass was everywhere. Her hand was bleeding. There are times when she wished she knew her strength. She was about to wipe the blood when the vampire took her left hand and wrapped it with a white handkerchief._

**'But sometimes I still think of you**

**And I just wanted you to know**

**My old friend...'**

_"Hey, what did you do that for, you old vampire?!"_

_"That could have been good!"_

_"You crazy old man!!!"_

_The other vampires saw the scene and were pissed off. Since they have a certain time to hunt, from ten to twelve in the morning, they were hoping to have a fresh drink. Even if it meant a little._

_"Buzz off, she's with me!," Izumimiya turn to the vampires. For some reason, they all took off, strait to the door. He turn back to Tea and touched her neck._

_"What are you doing?!," before she could react, the vampire got her necklace that was tucked under her top._

_"This is what I'm talking about," it was a gold chain necklace with a silver star as its only charm. It was gift her parents left her before they passed away._

_"You mean, I can stop it?"_

**'I swear I never meant for this,'**

_"Yes."_

**'I swear I never...'**

_Tea just stared at him with disbelief. It was just yesterday that she was shopping for clothes with her friends at Sunset Town, and now she has the power to stop an ongoing war of destruction. She just stared at her necklace with disbelief._

_Izumimiya ordered her treat, unfortunately for her, she didn't notice him putting something in her drink._

**'Don't look at me that way,'**

_When Tea put her necklace back under her top, Izumimiya handed her the drink. He raised his glass up high, "A toast."_

_"For what?"_

_"For someone like me," he turned to Tea, "to know someone like you later on. It will do me some good."_

_"What?"_

_"Just toast dammit," and so, the vampire and the double crossing "cop," made their toast. Izumimiya drank his wine and Tea drank her drugged beer._

**'It was an honest mistake.'**

_When they both finished, Tea felt...odd. She was feeling weak, as she turned to what she thought was Izumimiya, she found someone different yet the same._

_"Are you alright?..."_

Tea still couldn't believe that she got tricked by a vampire. She wasn't surprised though, he was a high leveled vampire. A level four or even higher. There had to be a reason why he drugged her. She still geld weak, and it was hard for her to watch the road for something to not run over.

'Maybe I can practice by running over that damn fox behind me,' she noticed that a level two fox demon was running toward her from behind. She stopped her car, opened the window and began aiming her gun toward the demon. She soon realized that the gun didn't have any ammo. Tea cursed under breath, 'He drugged me and he took my ammo, he is so getting it...'

Lucifer was driving to what seemed to be the middle of Dark City. He was suppose to be done patrolling the city an hour ago, but he was worried about Tea. She still looked pretty out of it. 'I should have drove her home, maybe I can check on her tomorrow,' he thought.

Up ahead the captain saw his destination. True Rose Tower, headquarters of the Council of Roses. Lucifer hated to report back, because he hated the old men that are his bosses. All ten of them. He stopped right in front of the tower even tough he wasn't supposed to. Lucifer just stared at the building.

It was just a big office building. It was the second biggest building in the city, next to the Blue Crest headquarters. Lucifer hated ever inch of the building in front of it. What he doesn't hate about it was the human that was coming toward him from the building.

It was Lisa, captain of the Red Crest. She is one of the two of the four captains that was human. Lilac, captain of the Blue Crest was the other human. Unlike Lilac, Lisa hated Lucifer. She hated him after the former captain of the Orange Crest, Leo, got killed. Leo was a legend among the captains of the Rose Guard. Everybody looked up to him, especially Lisa. She just doesn't accept the fact that someone else took his place.

"Where have you been?!"

Lucifer just ignored the question and kept on walking into his nightmare, until he saw the captain of the Green Crest, Lloyd.

"What's your excuse this time?"

"Now, now Lloyd, I have to report to the Council, I'm sure you had enough of me for one day."

"Actually, there has been a change in plans," Lucifer looked at Lloyd and he looked serious.

Lisa entered and finished Lloyd's sentence, "It's Lilac, she was announced dead by the Council."

**...now to write chapter four...wish me luck.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**i hate geomentry...i'm sooo behind in m geomentry homework that future chapters...you just have to wait and be very patient. i mean it...enjoy the new chapter i do not own YGO...too lazy to put the disclamer on the first chapters...i do own my OC's...**_

"In translation, she was killed by the Council," Lucifer regretted that comment.

"Don't say that!," Lisa hissed at him, "any one of them could be hearing this conversation. Do you want to die the same way as Lilac?"

"I'm not a human Lisa, I'm a vampire. I don't get killed as easily as you humans and demons. No offense Lloyd."

"Hmph," Lloyd is a cat demon, his black cap was covering his black ears and his shoulder length, black hair. He has a black, hooded sweater and plain blue jeans over his black boots.

"They would still torture you," Lisa has red hair tied up with a pink ribbon that form a long pigtail. With a pink top and short, black shorts, she looked like a human with anger management problems. Except she is the Captain of the Red Crest with twenty years of martial arts experience.

Lloyd moved to Lucifer, "How was stalking your girlfriend?"

"I hate that question, go back to where I could get sign up to be killed by the old men," Lucifer just loved to play with her, but he only does this to piss her up. Unlike with Tea.

Lisa signed and began moving with the idiotic of a vampire, "I'm leaving and don't even make a fool of yourself Lucifer. You will be missed if your gone."

She left the building, with Lucifer's bike...

"Lloyd, will you tell YOUR girlfriend to give me back my bike," Lucifer turned to the Captain of the Green Crest.

The cat demon blushed and turned to the human who has left. He hated the fact that the vampire knew his feelings toward Lisa.

He wanted changed the subject, "I don't think its wise to see Tea again."

Lucifer just stared at him, "Look if you don't me to get involve your love life, just don't drag Tea into this."

Lloyd shook his head, "The Council knows about the necklace, it true purpose that is.

The vampire couldn't believe this. After all this time, they found what they were looking for. He tried his best not letting them know about it, he wanted to protect her. Now he knows where Lisa is going...

The Silent War is about to begin any day now.

Lucifer began walking to the elevator and got inside. While waiting for his stop, he got his locket from under his shirt and open it. In it was a picture of his older brother.

"The worst part of all of this that it will be my job to capture her...what will you do?"

"Persistent bastard..."

Being drugged, having no ammunition on her only gun and in the middle of the night is making Tea think that she has the worst luck ever. Heck, its worse than Joey's.

The fox demon has been following her for an hour and she's getting tired. Tea decided to let the fox demon live, but the demon won't give up without a fight. She would go to her original plan and run over it with her car. On a bad side note, it would damage her car...on the good side note, it would be dead.

She took her chance.

Tea stopped her car and got out. She wasn't expecting to be the only one on the road to Sunset Town. Surly there could be at least four to eight cars passing by. It wasn't everyday that an ex-hunter/knight gets to kill a fox demon without a gun. She got hold of a dagger that was tucked away in her purse that was hanging from her belt. What she really didn't expect was a cold hand that got quite a firm on her arm.

"A dagger...," said the voice that was as cold as the firm grip, "for someone with years of experience, I'm kind of surprised. Isn't that right Tea Gardner."

Tea turned to see who it was. She stopped, his dead, blue eyes were all that she wanted to see. The cold firm gave her guesses that he was a vampire. Just what she needed.

The vampire released her and began walking toward the demon. The fox demon hissed at him, for it saw the eighteen-foot long, iron staff that he was holding on his right hand.

He was a brunette, his hair wasn't long. Long sleeve shirt that was black, along with black pants over his black boots. A silver belt with a purse on it side. If Tea wasn't thinking about how she didn't sense him, she probably think how good looking he was. Then again, all vampires are good looking.

"Get back in the car," commanded the vampire, "the drug will weaken you if you even try to fight this problem. You're too stressed to even try to aim that dagger right."

He was right. Still was a bit dizzy. The effects might last all night. Tea got in her car and drove toward her home. From the rear view mirror she saw a light that looked like lighting. She gasped.

He had to be Seto of the Izumimiya clan but something was wrong. She remembered Old Izumimiya telling her that members of his clan are working for Lucifer of the Orange Crest. Seto has to be a member to gained that power of lighting or even summoning a monster to kill the fox demon but something was still wrong. He's too powerful like the old vampire...

Driving through the sunrise, Sunset Town was miles away and she's finally ready to get some sleep. Tea got her necklace from under top. The Necklace of the Stars.

'May the Silent War begin, again.'

**_review or critic...any one of them will do fine. now to try to work on chapter five!!!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay, chapter #5!!! Thanks for the people who reviewed. You know who you are!!! Now read and review!!!**

Tea knew that she must be having the worst luck ever: An old vampire tells her the "truth" about her necklace, she was drugged, a stupid demon was chasing her, some bastard took her ammo, Seto Izumimiya came out of nowhere, and he was impressed (this made her quite happy)! Now that she thought about it, the fact that Seto knew her has to indicate that he works for Lucifer. If that were that case though, he had to have had the pin from the Orange Crest. Why would Lucifer not hire good vampires? All the vampires that work for him are not much stronger than she is and they have more experience in fighting than she had.

Her cell rang. Tea was glad to figure out that it wasn't stolen, like her ammo...

"Hey, you okay Tea?" It was Jacob.

"Yeah, why?" It took a second to realize that her bounty is lying in an alley, dead.

"You forgot to pick up the money form the "Pick-Up" crew. That is not like you."

"...Just keep it." She hanged up and continue to concentrate on the road ahead of her. It was about a couple of minutes from Sunset Town. By the time she got there, it would probably be morning and her friends might freak out. As usual.

Sunset Town, a town created by New Wings, a secret organization that helps unfortunate people in the other Lands of Earth that were damage from the Destruction War. Unlike Cerulean Flower, who hate the Council of Roses from the beginning of the war, New Wings want nothing to do with it. Basically Tea joined to start over. Her past is behind her and it always will...right?

It was quiet. That really wasn't a surprise since it was about five in the morning. All the houses around her were small. No big buildings, just a peaceful town with no desire to go to war when no one has any idea why it started in the first place. Of course, even the peaceful ones can lay a big impression.

Tea was getting close to her apartment complex. A two story building, a red roof over a vanilla colored walls. It looked more of a school than her home. As she looked up, she noticed that her friend's place seemed to have the light on. Why would they be awake at five in the morning?

Something was coming toward her. A red motorcycle pulled up in front of Tea's car. She stop and got out, while holding the hilt of her dagger just in case. The motorcycle looked familiar, but driver was not familiar. The drive got less familiar as it got off the motorcycle, with a helmet still on.

"This is where you live?," the voice sounded like a woman," I expected more from you." Nothing special about her as Tea got a good look at her. She was a couple of inches shorter than her and by the sound of her voice, she sounded like someone her age. No special abilities or weapons on her. Just clothes, a pair of heavy, black boots and noticeable muscles. She must be some fighter. Even with eight years of training to be a fighter, Tea might be beaten in a fight someday. That day may be right now since the woman seems to be charging toward her and preparing to attack. Tea noticed just in time to evade her attack by rolling to the side.

"Who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare." The attacker charged again and this time she tried to kick. Again, Tea evaded the kick and got her chance. With one leg still up in the air, Tea used her heel to slice the attacker's other leg, causing her to fall on her back.

'Wow, having high heels wasn't a bad idea.' The leg was bleeding badly as Tea gave a quick thanks to the gods for almost regretting to wear high heels. The attacker wipe the blood from her leg and tried to stand up straight. The cut was deep and it was still bleeding pretty badly. Tea was too fast for her. She didn't care and charged yet again.

Out of the building behind them, three arrow came toward the attacker. Yugi Mutou prepared another arrow on his bow, Tea had to smile.

"Tea, are you alright?" Yugi was on top of his family store, Turtle Keep, an antique store. Beside him was his friends, or girlfriend by his friends, Rebecca.

"Why do I have a feeling that Tea is poisoned or something..." Rebecca was always the first one to see if anyone is hurt in the inside. She noticed the drug inside Tea's body.

In front of the fighting women, there was Tea's apartment with four of her other friends on top of the roof. Her loud friends...

"Hey, Tea, don't do anything stupid. You've been doing that a lot these days!" If Joey Wheeler was right in front of Tea, he would be bleeding. A lot.

"Shut-up Joey!!!" Tea hated when he commented on her ability to fight, but she had to agree. The sleeping drug is making her dizzy again. She just hopes she wouldn't fall before she finishes off her opponent.

This time Tea was the one who was going to charge her. Unfortunately, an arrow came in front of her. Yugi's arrow.

"Tea, don't even think it! You know the rule!"

Tea cursed under her breath. New Wings was a town of peace and tranquility, it was against the law to kill anyone in the town's boundaries. The attacker laughed.

"She can't kill me?," the attacker seemed to enjoy this, "then this will be easier than I thought."

The attacker took her final chance. Tea was so concentrated on Joey that she didn't see that her opponent kicked her on her chest. She dropped right on the pavement road. Her friends rushed to help her.

The attacker walked to Tea's side and reached out to her chest. She wanted Tea's necklace.

"Finally, we can quit..." The attacker was just about to grab it when Tea, using all her strength, rolled sideways and kicked her on the chest as well. The kick caused the attacker to fly upward a couple of feet and came down pretty hard. Tea was breathing hard, all she could think of was how good this person was.

The attacker got up, with her helmet still on, and ran toward her bike. Or someone else's bike.

"I will get that necklace, if it's not the last thing I do!" With that said, she drove her bike away from the peaceful town of Sunset.

Tea sigh, dropped to the floor, and fell asleep.

Atem Izumimiya watched from a distance, "Great, now I have to explain the entire thing..."

**The future chapters might be a little delayed since one:**

**i'm in a Speech team at school and i'm looking for a short story...having no luck with that**

**geometry is my enemy**

**and other stuff. So be patient and thanks again for reading this. **


	6. Chapter 6

**_I was going to add more to this, but no. This means that the next chapter will be up sooner than expected. Enjoy and review_**

On the cold, cement ground, Tea Gardner laid fast asleep. The sleeping drug kicked in during the fight. Her friends were surrounding her to check if she was alright.

"Will she wake up?" Mai Valentine stood behind Rebecca, who was using her healing staff to heal Tea back. That throw sounded really bad from afar.

"I would love to answer that, but Tea's necklace is blocking me from knowing that." she pointed at Tea's necklace from the side, it was glowing.

"So it healing her for you?" Joey was on the road with Tristan Taylor and Duke Devlin, making sure that the attacker wasn't coming back.

"Yeah and I brought my stuff for nothing," she was finishing "checking" her friend's back when something came up, "Why didn't Tea use her gun?"

That was a good question. Tea wasn't a type of person to fight with an opponent with just a dagger.

Yugi went to her silver car and found a gun without ammo. "This solves that mystery but why doesn't it have any ammo?"

After hearing that, Tea swore under her breath. Rebecca heard. Everyone came toward her to see if her necklace did anything at all. "To...many... people...around me..."

"Okay everyone, back away. Yugi, please take Tea to her apartment. She needs her rest." At that command, Yugi carried Tea on his back and walked slowly to her place.

The sleepy fighter woke up quietly. She looked around and saw that she was on her friend's back, "Yugi...why are yo-"

Tea was silenced by his glare. "How many times do I have to tell you to be careful around here? You know that you can't bring anyone from the Law Knights, Cerulean Flower and worst of all, one of the Rose Guard. They would know what New Wings is up to. But the one thing that concerns me is why your gun didn't have any ammo."

Tea wondered the same thing. Then again, it took her a while to figure that Lucifer must have got her gun before she left him in Dark City.

"...Some guy took them..." Yugi just shook his head. It really didn't surprised him. That seems to happen to her a lot these days. That includes the acts of stupidity she's been having recently.

They arrived in front of Tea's apartment. Yugi let go of Tea, unsure if she wanted to sleep or talk. "Try to actually sleep. The last thing I want you to do is doing work until dawn."

"Which is like an hour from now." She was right, the skies are turning into a light pink color. The sun seems to be getting up now. Tea didn't like that.

She looked at Yugi and noticed that he seems to be getting taller. It reminded her of Old Izumimiya. She shook her head, the last thing Tea needed was to be reminded of an old vampire who drugged her without noticing. Then again, it was her fault for letting her guard down.

"You okay?" Tea shook her head in response. She wanted to sleep, not to worry her childhood friend.

Yugi opened Tea's apartment door and let her in. Tea couldn't walk straight, she hated feeling weak in front of her friend. She had no choice but to let Yugi help her walk to her bedroom. It was a one room apartment, less room to walk. It was good since she felt weak.

Tea saw some dim light on her chest and saw her necklace. The glow was disappearing, it was as the soul in it was relieved. She smiled and couldn't help but to think of her former lover. He would be mad if he found out what had happened.

Her room was small, but Tea loved it. She tried to walk to her bed and succeeded. Tea took off her jacket and boots, and collapse on her bed. Yugi stood there on her door to see if she made it. He smiled in relief and left her to finally sleep.

Tea was so happy. To finally be in her bed even though it will be morning soon, this was her life. Or was his life. She turned to her desk to see her picture with her former beloved when Old Izumimiya was on her desk looking at a picture frame in his hands.

"Nice looking, too bad he's dead."

It took a second to realize that the old vampire was on her desk, quietly, Tea stood up and got hold of a gun from under her pillow. She always had extra weapons almost everywhere in her apartment. This made Izumimiya look sad. He sighed, "This is no time to kill me. I have information that may interest you. Are you willing to accept it?"

"Why would I trust you?" Tea aimed her gun toward the vampire. She had to be careful, there was no telling what special abilities this guy may have.

"Because," he said quietly, Izumimiya looked at the picture while talking, "you might want to avenge certain people, do you not?"

'Leo...' Her would-be-husband from eight years ago. The former captain of the Orange Crest. The older brother of Lucifer. He made Tea promise not to avenge him since the Council members were the ones that killed him. She tried so hard not to. Could Izumimiya help her?

"But first, you must hear something that might change your opinion on that."

This shocked Tea, "Didn't you just said that you will help me?"

Izumimiya smiled, the smile that made Tea blush at the bar. She quickly shook her head, what nonsense had she gotten herself into? She noticed Izumimiya wanting her to sit down, or was it a command from her mind?

"You ready? At the bar, I told you about the Council of Roses are after your Necklace of the Stars. I forgot to mentioned that they want as soon as possible. That would explain why Lisa ca-"

"What?!" She was used to having Lucifer behind her back, but Lisa? This didn't make any sense. Why would the Captain of the Red Rose do with her necklace. Tea got hold of her necklace and hugged it. She wouldn't let anyone take it from her.

"That necklace is the key to find the last of the ten treasures to summon what the Council wants. This information was never told to the Rose Guard. The Council doesn't want rebel forces to be form from them. All four captains have more power than the Council itself.

So they eliminate captains every year or so. For example Leo...and now they have killed the Captain of the Blue Rose, Lilac."

'Lilac the Peaceful?' Tea felt sad for her family. The Kaiba family were the most respected family in Altomare. Lilac didn't even belong in the Rose Guard. She will have to pray for her later. Tea nodded for Izumimiya to continue.

"They believe that too many people will know what they want. Five thousand years ago, the founder of Council...the White Slayer..." The old vampire took a while to control his anger. Remembering painful memories must have been hard to forget. Tea knew how that felt.

Izumimiya took a breath before talking again, "Back then, he was the White Slayer. He wanted to summon the creator of darkness to control all worlds, Zork Necrophades. Nobody could stop him and the newly created Council. There was one family that almost stopped them. My family, the Izumimiya clan. My father was the leader back then and he knew what he was doing. For us, it seemed like a victory. In the end, it was all a failure. You see Tea, you are not the only one who lost a loved one by the hands of the Council. I have lost my wife and two children."

Tea stared at him and looked up at her sunroof. The Earth's moon, Luna, was out there, but not shining. That was to be expected. Artemis, Earth's other moon, must be on the other side of the globe by now. She couldn't help but to think how Izumimiya has lost his love ones. He seemed to be a stong vampire, not someone who would lose someone that precious.

"What if I am a vampire? I was a human five thousand years ago. Being a vampire was a curse set by the Council for messing up their plans. My entire clan suffered that curse. Except my wife and children. They were killed during a battle in our palace. I was helpless."

He clenched his hand. He wants to go back, to help them, not being helpless. But its too late.

Tea got up and hugged him. She felt it all before, Tea never knew that someone would feel her pain. It was too much for someone to understand. How did he manage to live for all these years?

"I know, it wasn't my fault. But I was so helpless. That is all in my past, I have to move on. Please be a dear...would you let go of me."

Tea blushed and let go of him. She went straight to her bad and sat down. Izumimiya couldn't help but smile. "The famous Law Knight and member of the Cerulean Flower is blushing? That's kind of hard to believe."

"Shut-up and continue." So much for getting some sleep.

_**Hope you enjoyed the this chapter. Chapter seven will be up soon. **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so telling younger sisters that they can do their algebra homework on the only computer in the house wasn't a bright idea after all...but enough of me complaining**. **Read and review!!! **

Atem Izumimiya smiled as Tea sat back down, blushing. To think that she was the last member of the Gardner family. He just couldn't stop smiling, "You blush way too easily. No wonder Lucifer has the hots for you."

Tea gasped. She thought the reason that Lucifer liked her because of her abilities and her relationship she had with her older brother. The thought of her having Leo's younger brother over her was a thought she quickly wanted to get rid off.

"Then again, it didn't surprise me that Leo told him that you had the seventh treasure. That necklace can help cause the Twin Eclipse, the portal to open the lock for Zork to enter in our world."

"That doesn't make any sense. If your family wasn't the one who stopped them, then who did?"

Izumimiya stared at her, "I thought even Lucifer might have told you this. Your family, the Gardner clan."

Now that part didn't make sense. Why would her parents keep a huge secret from her all these years? They past away on her sixteenth birthday. They only gave her the necklace, with a smile, and nothing more. Then again, she really didn't wanted anything from her parents, except an approval for her marriage with Leo.

"My clan had no one else to turn to. Your ancestor and founder of you family, Trinity Gardner, had heard of our downfall. She wanted to help. With the help of her twin brother, Tobias Gardner, they created a special spell that would lock up Zork in a world both of them created. We owe them so much, that my clan became their protectors.

The entire world needed them, we needed them to hide from the Council. Unfortunately, their lock didn't really worked. The seal was too weak since the Council created the Rose Guard. They knew what to do to weaken it. Trinity had to create special keys to lock it up for good. For the past five- thousand years, the Council have found seven of them. Thats because of my clan splitting up.

Some of them wanted more power and the ability to drink blood. The curse was even worse than we can imagine. Vampires needed blood to survive. We couldn't drink it, not even see or smell it. It was invisible to my clan.. We needed that to survive. The traitors got what they want from the Council. Lucky for us, they didn't know about the last three.

By then, Trinity and Tobias have passed away, and the tradition of passing down one of the treasures have begun. Your necklace is special. Your family intelligent enough to keep it from the Council for five-thousand years. They only ask one favor for us:to protect the future generations of any decedent who wears that necklace. My father protected your parents. The day that they died, my father couldn't take that lose. So he ended his life a while back."

Tea was eating up every word. Well, only the parts where her family ancestors came into play. The feeling of hatred toward the Council, why she wanted to fight back, why her family even let her join the Law Knights just to get information, it was all in her blood. Were there any other of her family members alive? She kind of doubt that.

Izumimiya looked up at the sunroof. Luna was still there, but not that much. The sun was getting up and he knew his time is short. He had to end it now. His reason for using his forbidden spell has come to a good use. He hopes, "Get up."

Tea jumped up. She watched as Izumimiya got something from under his long, black coat. It was a small, violet bottle. At the same time, black wings came out of his back and surrounding him. For a couple of seconds, a dark, purple light was surrounding him. The wings pulled back. Instead of an old man from under the wings, came out a man about Lucifer's age. He looked like Yugi, but slight older and more serious. She also noticed that he was tanned. Was he tanned back at the bar?

"Someday, I will tell you my name. So be on the look out. Instead of me telling it, someone else will. The next think I will do will mean nothing to you, yet."

Tea had no idea what happened next. Izumimiya opened the bottle and drank the bottle. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her for a fierce kiss. It really wasn't a kiss, it was more like another way to drink what was in the bottle. Izumimiya was forcing something in her mouth as they kissed. A warm liquid went into her body, making her sleepy, again. Tea went straight for a heavy sleep. Izumimiya carried her to the bed. As she was sleeping, Atem Izumimiya got her hand. He was disappearing. It was a miracle for him to still be holding her hand.

"Tea, I want to tell you more. I really do but my time is up. The rest you will have to learn it by yourself. Please do me the favor of moving on with you life. The past is holding you back and it will lead you into trouble. All I have to say is that I love you. When I met you in that place in a couple of days, I have found what my former wife wanted me to do. To find someone else to heal my heart. This war is pointless, we both know that. Or will in a couple of days. Just follow your heart and do me a great favor. I you don't do this, my reason for coming to this time was pointless. Just promise me, that you will not fall..." With the sun rays coming from the sunroof and the window, Atem Izumimiya has disappeared completely.

Tea woke up a couple of hour later. That really was a good sleep. The best she had in years. She changed into clean clothes, a white top and sweat pants. As she walked lazily to her small, living room she heard a knock. It was about ten or eleven, she really didn't expect any visitors. Unless it was Rebecca checking her if she even woke up at all. She went to a window, looked out, and saw her would-be- brother-in-law, Lucifer, smiling his ridiculous smile at her.

"Morning gorgeous, hope you like pastries!!!"

**...Just tell me what you people think and review. In the mean time, i have a battle with the stupid mouse!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Life has been cruel to me...finals are coming up, and i will fail geometry and get summer school...**_

Tea Gardner has two options: 1. Open the door to let Lucifer in with food, which is a good thing since she hasn't eaten anything for what feels like day. Or 2. Get the shotgun that was under the couch, quietly and quickly.

"Wait, before you attack me, for the fourth time this week, you have to let me explain what happen last night!"

It was very unusual for Tea to see Lucifer all serious. Never has he even thought about stealing her ammo in a time like this. The Council is preparing for war in Altomare, even though some people might not know about this.

While Tea was thinking, Lucifer let himself in and gave her a big bear hug. Forget the seriousness; the guy she wants to kill is hugging her.

"Please, forgive me." The weird vampire is giving her the puppy eyes; add the wimpy limps and Tea just hopes that she won't get arrested by the Law Knights or the Council. That would suck.

Tea had no choice. It took her a while to notice that Lucifer was too close to her face. At least his act is gone, but his good looks are still there. His eyes, blue and bright like hers, piercing, but soft. The eyes that looked like it belonged to someone else. Like Leo, his older "brother."

It was embarrassing.

'No wonder Lucifer has the hots for you.'

Now she hated that other vampire too.

"…that is why you should go to the Ruins and ask for help. I know that telling you this is a bad idea, but I promised Leo I won't tell you this until you were ready. After what happened last night, that sense of a vampire that was near you was too…are you listening? Is it because of my good looks?"

Tea wanted him dead. Lucifer was still hugging her. This was a very awkward moment. She shoved him and grabbed the box that holds the delicious breakfast. Pastries were something that would help her with these problems of hers.

Lucifer followed her to the table. The small apartment was meant to someone who knew what she was doing. He just hoped that Tea listened. Now he has to almost sneak in without being noticed. The War is about to begin.

The pastries were all raspberry Danishes, her favorite. Tea almost ate every one of them like a hungry dog. She realized that she didn't eat anything since yesterday morning. No wonder there were so many Danishes, Lucifer would always know when she was almost starving herself.

'No wonder Lucifer has the hots for you.'

Why does that comment keep popping up?

She was too busy to notice Lucifer staring at her. He was all black again, except his orange ribbon that keeps his blond hair in place. He looked just like his brother, before he died.

"Tea, I hoped that you listened to me and go to the Ruins, those people can help you."

She had no idea what he was talking about. So she decided to go along with him. "Actually, I decided to go to Riverside Village, maybe for a hot bath before I stop at the Ruins."

Lucifer laughed, "Remember last time you were there. That would have been your excuse to get fired by the Knights last year."

Tea had a little trouble at the hot springs with the Law Warriors from the continent of West America. She almost got banned from her favorite hot springs in Riverside, the only village in the West Coast of Altomare.

Why would Lucifer want her to go to the Ruins anyway?

'Someday, I will tell you my name. So be on the look out. Instead of me telling it, someone else will. The next thing I will do will mean nothing, yet.'

Blushing red, Tea got away from Lucifer as quickly as she can and went strait to her room to prepare. She has no idea what awaits her in the Ruins, but the War would begin in a couple of days. After five years of many training and double-crossing, she is ready. Now she just hopes to get the image of a vampire kissing her out of her head.

Atem Izumimiya sneezed. This was a rare sight for Malik. The two "young" vampires were on the lookout for any signs of one of their traitors who seems to know where they are.

"Hey Malik, do you think someone is talking to me?"

The light blonde just shook his head, "Hey, I need some relaxing time. Why don't we go to the hot springs? I'm bored."

Atem just hit his head lightly and moved on. He sensed something last night that made him feel uneasy. Some strange force that he wished was unreal.

Maybe the hot springs isn't a bad idea.

_**hope people enjoyed this and the little story i posted a couple of days ago**_


	9. Chapter 9

The only reason Atem is driving to the hot springs is to shut Malik up. With Ishizu and Mahado gone, it would be mean for the leader of the Izumimiya clan to leave a clan member alone in the underground palace. It sounded good, if Atem wanted to hear another lecture from Ishizu.

Now Atem has to take care of those who remain in the clan. He's actually glad there are a few, he needs to take care the surviving members of the Gardner clan before the Council kills them. Or let a certain traitor to deal with it. Atem shook that thought automatically.

He still doesn't know why Ishizu want to babysit her younger brother. He is the same age as Atem, Malik can take care of himself.

"For your information, I have the ability to communicate with Marik. You want me to talk to him to give out where we are hiding?"

"Stop reading my mind!" Malik had the gift of reading minds, just like Atem, but Malik uses his gift to annoy the clan leader. For the past five-thousand years.

"I'm just saying that I might go evil any minute and join my brother with Bakura...I don't want that to happen to me. I promised..."

Atem knew what Malik was about to say, so he dropped the conversasion. Their promise with the Gardner will keep them from doing anything stupid. But in some cases, it didn't work.

He didn't want to think about that stuff any more. Atem turned to look at Malik who was in the backseat. The blond vampire was just looking at sky, or he was just lying there thinking of nothing and boredom. If it was possible. Atem's Jeep Wrangler was going fifty on a long dirty road that heads toward Riverside Village, the only place where there is life on the West Coast of Altomare.

Around them was just dirt. Everything was destroyed by the Council of Roses. In Atem's mind, it was all Bakura's fault.

He was the one that wanted to awake Zorc.

He was the one that destroyed his kingdom.

He was the one that cursed his clan.

He was the one that...killed his wife and children...

Atem will never forgive him.

Auriga...

Cetus...

Altair...

Eridamus...

Lyra...

The former names of the Five Lands of Earth

Trinity and Thebes Gardner

The ones that his family owe a great debt to.

Thomas Gardner

One of the few remanding members of the Gardner family

Tea Gardner

The one that wears the Necklace of the Stars around her neck.

Atem hasn't seen her since she was about five. He wanted her to live a normal life without having a vampire to be her personal bodyguard. He really misses her...

"Now, Tea is about...twenty four, right?"

One of these days...Atem will rip off Malik's wings. "She will be twenty five tomorrow. I just hope that the Council or even Seto would leave her alone."

"Yeah. I still can't believe that Lilac was killed. She was like a sister to all of us. Now Seto has to be the new Captain of the Blue Crest...that's not right."

Atem was thinking the same thing.

The hot spring was huge. The nice hot water surrounded by medium size rocks were just what Ishizu needed. She still doesn't like the idea that Mahado sent her back to Altomare. Just because he doesn't want to get hurt is not an excuse to let her go without help people in need. That was the same stupid excuse he would say for the past four- thousand nine hundred and eighty three years. Why is he so strange all of a sudden?

It must be the War that is about to start here. Ishizu just hopes that Malik is alright.

As she dipped into the hot spring, she noticed a red hair young woman across from her.

Lisa was asleep in the hot spring. Bad memories are in her mind and the nice water isn't helping her. Marik Ishtar, Bakura's right hand follower was angry as soon as she entered True Rose Tower. After that, everything was a blur. She didn't even bother to remember what happened.

She got out of the water and into the inn, leaving a tan vampire behind her.

Lisa is not ready for what is about to come.

"Sooo...you won't do anything while your here, right?"

Tea made huge sigh. Lucifer has been asking her that the entire car ride from Sunset to Riverside. It was pissing her off. Then again...everything Lucifer did or say, it would always piss her off.

She just got out of her car while Lucifer got into the driver seat. They both agreed that it would be better off if she stayed at an inn for the night, alone, and without any vehicle and weapon.

"Now remember, you are here to take a break. Not calling Jacob any "job openings, or calling Yugi to make sure "things" are alright, or even to me for any information on the Council or Law Knights. Please promise me that Tea, I need your trust in this."

Tea hesitated. It's not like she will do something that involves killing. Besides, another reason she "liked" the idea about being in Riverside is to relax in the many hot springs that are available here. She might get the chance to apologize to the owner of the inn that she almost destroyed, with the help of those lousy Law Warriors. That memory made Tea shudder.

"I promise. Just promise me that you will not destroy my car on your way back to Sunset Town. You know I just finished paying for it."

Lucifer winked and drove off, with Tea's car.

Tea turned, she was in front of the entrance to Riverside Village. It may be small, but it is a home to many resorts own by many.

She reached into her backpack and got out a shiny, black feather.

Atem Izumimiya, the leader of the Izumimiya clan. The cursed clan of the Spring Palace.

While Tea was a Law Knight eight years ago, she heard about him. Especially his black wings, it hold a secret power forbidden for him to use. Unless he needed to.

All of a sudden, she remembered the kiss. Tea quickly shook her head of that thought and looked around. She kissed the feather lightly and started walking. Tea hoped no one saw that.

**Right in the middle of chap 10. don't worry.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Being sick sucks...sniff...especially when you are hoping for a snow day...cough... oh yeah. _Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Altomare comes from the Pokemon movie with Latios and Latias. I love that movie . Magvel comes from Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones...I still need to finish that game...T.T_**

Lloyd was sitting on top of a roof, staring down at Tea Gardner. He never understood the relationship between her and Lucifer. The Captain of the Orange Crest was too aloof to be friends of a former Law Knights

.Then again, he didn't care. Right now, Lisa was his top priority. Lloyd has to make sure Lisa does her job. He doesn't want to see get killed. Last night was just awful. She could have been killed if he hadn't convince Marik.

He will not let Malik kill Lisa. She is too...too...

"Johanna!"

A young cat demon appeared behind him.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Go to Illusions Inn, find Lisa and keep an eye on her. I will follow as soon as I can."

"Yes, Captain!"

The follower left, and Lloyd is sick and tired on having Seto stalking him.

"For your information, you stupid cat, I'm not stalking you. I'm following someone else. How did you know it was me anyway? I hid my magic well enough for even a cat demon like you wouldn't know who it was?"

Lloyd chuckled, "I can smell. Unfortunately, I smell blood. Your disgusting, eating before you come to me. You know how much I hate that..

Seto grinned, "Just blame Master Bakura. He was the one that undid that stupid curse of not drinking blood."

"I know that, but your still a vampire."

"Yes, but there are some things that I call a curse, other things, a blessing."

Lloyd turned to face him, "Being a vampire is a blessing?"

Seto wants to shut him up, but he couldn't this time. He noticed a Jeep Wrangler entering the village. This is what he was hoping for. Too bad he had to back to Dark City and have a couple of "meetings."

Captain Seto of the Blue Crest turned to leave, "Forget it. My mission was to get that damn necklace, but I guess I have to leave it to you. Don't let the Council down by helping Lisa. She's a pathetic ninja wanna-be who doesn't understand on how dangerous these couple of days will be."

With that said, Seto flew to Dark City with the help of his white wings.

The red Jeep Wrangler parked in front of Illusions Inn, one of the popular hot springs in Riverside Village. The bad part, its expensive and only "invited" guest are allowed to go in.

"Ah yeah, another day in the magnificent inn. Which by the way is way better than having that stupid brother of mine come and kill me.

Atem just shook his as he got out of his Jeep, "We do this every year. Why don't you just follow Ishizu and leave me alone. I rather have Marik come at me, than you having all the glory in defeating him."

Malik grinned, "Atem, we both know I'm more powerful than you. In some cases..."

Atem just left that annoying blond in the sidewalk as he got closer to the inn. Only to discover Cecelia Pegasus at the inn's entrance.

"Atem, welcome. Is Malik here too?"

Cecelia , dressed in a beautiful white kimono with pink clouds, looked at where Malik was. The blond vampire was still talking to himself. "Good. Thank the gods."

Atem noticed that the owner's wife is being nervous. "Is something wrong?"

She nodded, "Lisa is here. In one of the back rooms there is also a couple of her men. I think they might attack Ishizu!"

This was unexpected. Except, he should expect it. Luckily Malik overheard and came running, when all of a sudden, a huge explosion came from the back of Illusions Inn. Two figures came flying, one of them came down to where Atem and Cecelia were standing. It was Ishizu, "Atem, get Malik and prepare to battle."

Atem sensed something from behind.

The Necklace of the Star.

Tea Gardner was staring at Lisa who was standing on top of the inn.

Tea sensed something familiar on top of the Illusions Inn. Not only did she recognize the attacker from last night, but she sensed a familiar vampire. The aura was different but the same. She turned to look at Atem. He looked just like Old Izumimiya after he changed into a younger version last night. Tea wanted to know what's going on.

Without warning, a whip from behind began chocking her. A whip can only come from the Captain of the Green Crest, Lloyd.

"Dammit Lloyd!" Tea struggled to see Lisa from the roof. She looked pissed as ever.

"Lisa, I know, but I got my orders!" Lloyd said, as he pulled Tea closer to him. Behind Lloyd are his men and women who are members of the Green Crest, and they too are ready to follow orders.

Atem wouldn't let this happen. Even if he is out numbered, he made an eternal promise.

"Just give me the Necklace and we'll leave you at peace. If you don't..." With a single snap, men and women came from behind Lisa on top of Illusions Inn.

The cat demon pulled the whip harder, making Tea fall toward the ground. The vampire leader saw how Tea is fighting with the whip on her neck. Seeing her dying...he won't let that happen!

"You...won't k-k-kill...m..meee...," Tea used one hand to reach to her boot. She pulled out a dagger.

Everything else went quickly, too quickly. Even for Malik and Ishizu Izumimiya.

As soon as Tea used her dagger to cut the whip, Lloyd told his cat demons to attack her. Ishizu used her wand, which was inside of her bath robe, to put a barrier between Tea and the cat demons. Malik went in and used his wand to call forth a thunder spell. It killed about half of the cat demons. Lisa took this as an advantage. Using a kunai, she was able to knock out Cecelia, was standing in front of the inn, shocked to see half of her husband's inn on fire.

Malik and Ishizu noticed and went to prevent anything else to Cecelia. Atem ran to check on Tea. With the barrier down, Lisa threw another kunai. Aiming at Tea, that dagger was poisoned. This was a better way for her to pay back Tea for the scar on her leg.

Tea sprinted towards the entrance of the village when she got hit on her back. She suddenly felt numb and collapsed. Atem quickly got her, pulled out the dagger, and carried her to his Jeep.

Atem droved off, hoping to keep the promise that he made centuries ago.

Ishizu quickly healed Cecelia, and then she turned to her brother, "This is it huh?"

Malik nodded as he stared at the entrance of Riverside Village.

"You saw them, they were wearing all black. All of them, Lloyd, his Green Crest people, even Lisa's Red Crest guys."

Malik continued his sister's thoughts," Both Captains had their emblems with them too. A green rose with a black whip on to. A red rose with two kunais through that rose. Those pins that tells us that the war has begun in Altomare. Again. For the some thousandth time."

Ishizu nodded," You think...that we'll end the war this year?"

Malik doesn't know that. Nobody knows. The Izumimiya clan keep telling themselves that the war will end any year after what happened to themselves.

Each year, they fail miserably.

And this time, they plan to end it. No matter what the cause.

Atem looked back and saw Tea, sleeping. He was lucky to remember what Mahado had taught him how to heal humans with poison. If he didn't react quickly enough, Tea would have died.

He stopped his Jeep in the middle of the road. Atem turned to get a good look at her. With a finger, he sweep some of her hair off her face and kissed her forehead.

"Its been a long time, little apricot."

**Yay!!! I completed chapter 10!!! I know that isn't a big deal, but I thought on leaving this project on finish...yeah...luckily there are some readers out there at actually read it. So to those of you that read this...Thank You!!! Gracias!!! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Yuna: People who actually read this story...can't you all think of something to do with your lives? **

**Yuji:...Yuna...I thought we agreed not to control SHINE-AT-SHADES's body again...I mean, you did that since chapter one...aren't you tired of insulting the readers?**

**Yuna:...no.**

**Yuij: Everyone...just read the chapter _and help me come up with an idea to shut my twin up...she's getting annoying now isin't she?_**

**Yuna: What was that? turning on a chainsaw**

**Yuji: Oh, for the love of crap!**

**...I get really bored now these days... **

Lucifer can't imagine himself being serious anymore. All his life, being positive and silly was his main priority. Now standing in front of the Blue Crest HQ in Dark City makes him realize how serious the Destruction War means to him.

"The Rose Guard is basically the four captains of each of the Crest: Blue, Green, Red and Orange. Their duty is to pinpoint any remaining member of the Gardner family. This tradition has been past through many generations. The four of you has been given several followers to not only locate the Gardner family but to kill anyone who is opposing the power of the Council of Roses. We are the government, they must follow our rules. Is that understood?"

Not really. Lucifer wasn't paying attention when First Petal Bakura was talking to him after Leo's execution. He was automatically the Captain of the Orange Crest. Something that still bothers him today. 

He was thinking too much before he reached Captain Seto's right hand man or woman in this case, Qing, who was staring blankly at her computer. It took a while for the young vampire to notice Lucifer, "Oh, hello Lucifer. Master Seto is waiting for you on the ninety-fifth floor. Just find the room with the double door and you'll be fine."

"Thanks." Not long ago, Qing was pretty nice towards Lucifer, he guest that she's still shocked after finding out of Lilac's death. All he hoped is that the rest of the building wasn't half dead and staring blankly at some screen, or something.

A couple of minutes later, Lucifer made a mental note to himself: never use depressing songs in his elevators at his HQ. The last thing he wanted to see was more half dead vampires and humans on the ninety-fifth floor. Sure Lilac was beloved by all but they should get over it, or so Lucifer thought.

It was like looking at Tea again...

How half dead she looked when she saw Leo's execution. It devastated her. Her fiancé being killed in front of her eyes,how Leo gave her one last smile, that same smile that made Tea love him in the beginning. It was too much for her, having her parents found dead that same morning and all. All that happening on her sixteenth birthday.

So Lucifer made a promise: To be positive and be near Tea. Add a few "love" jokes and be dramatic here and there, and maybe Tea would go back to her normal self.

It worked, for a while.

At last, he found the room he needed to forcefully enter. An hour ago, Lucifer got a text message form Seto about something important. Lucifer knows that Seto was a member of the Izumimiya family. It was Seto's father that wanted to separate his family from his brother's "eternal promise."

"Are you going to enter or not?!" Leave it to the new Captain of the Blue Crest to shout from his office, even through the thick wooden doors.

Lucifer just had to sigh. This was too much for him. He's confronting a five-thousand year old vampire and he's only two-hundred and fifty.

"You pathetic excuse for a ninja!"

Second Petal Marik slapped Lisa across her face. A habit he doesn't want to stop.

"I told you, I was caught off guard."

"That's your excuse for everything. As a Captain you could have sense Ishizu before she realized it was you. But no! You had to wait for her to realize that it was you!"

Lisa was already bored with him. I t was always the same thing, except this time, it's different. She had to grin.

"What's so funny you bitch? I didn't tell you to grin like that."

Lisa chuckled. "I came up with a plan that should please you...Now if you want to get rid of me that badly, I won't get the chance to tell you about an invasion of the Spring Palace..."

Now this got the Ruler of the Red Crest's attention. For five-thousand years, no Captain of the Red Crest ever got an idea about an invasion. Of course, Marik could have done it himself but Bakura wouldn't let him. Now, with a ninja and her plain, Marik would get revenge.

"An invasion of the Spring Palace?" Third Petal Dartz stared at Lloyd, questionably.

"Yes, since I have the exact location on where the Spring Palace lies beneath the Ruins on the West Coast, we could all get through the border and set an invasion. Since that's where Atem is in the moment, we could capture him and tell us where the last remaining treasures are."

Dartz was happy with Lloyd. The Ruler of the Green Crest can finally get some payback that he so rightfully deserve.

This will show that ungrateful vampire lord.

Cecelia looked worried. The hot springs was destroyed, again.

"...What did Malik do this time..."

She turned around to see her husband, Maximillion Pegasus.

"It was Lisa. She attacked Ishizu while they were both in the hot springs. Oh, guess what, I saw Tea. She looks just like Thomas. It's too bad that he died nine years ago."

Fifth Petal Pegasus grinned, "Yes, it's too bad...Listen my dear, I have an errand to run to. Can you stay for a while and check on things while I'll go to Dark City."

Cecelia hesitated; her husband has left her to take care of Illusions Inn on her own for many years, but not on these types of situations. Something had to be up. 

_Tea woke up to a gentle spring breeze. It all seemed like a dream._

_"Are you awake, my little apricot?"_

_She quickly got up to what seemed like grass, or what felt like grass since she felt it in her toes. Around her, a meadow stretched for miles. She also noticed she was wearing a white summer dress, like the one her mother used to wear. A white ribbon that tied up her hair dances with the gentle breeze. _

_"Don't you remember me?_

_Tea quickly turned to see..._

"Wake up Tea"

It took a while for Tea to figure out that she wasn't in a meadow and it was all a weird dream.

**"Kuri kuri?"**

She gently got up and gasped. She was sleeping in a bad sized for some king. The room around her was even bigger than her own apartment.

"Sooo...you had some type of dream where you are in some meadow and hearing some voice?"

"How di-who are you?" Tea turned around to see a "young" vampire sitting on a chair next to her. The vampire was wearing a velvet beige robe over herself, she was holding a small notebok, it would appear that the vampire was writing something on it.

"My name is Mana Izumimiya. As a member of the Izumimiya family, I am honored to serve you, Tea Gardner." Mana got off her chair to kneel down besides the bed.

"No, please-don't do that!" Tea quickly climbed out of bed to stop Mana, the kneeling made her uncomfortable.

"Oh don't be modest. That is exactly what your father did, eventually he started to like it. Maybe that's why he didn't want Atem protecting you."

"Wait, Atem, he was going to protect me?" Tea just found out about all the Destruction War stuff last night. Her father, Thomas, never said anything about being protected. Then again, he never said anything about everything.

"Tea, you are a member of the main branch," Mana reached to Tea's Necklace of the Stars, "only Atem and his father protect the main branch. You guys are basically targets for the Council of Roses. Especially you with this around you neck, it will help them get the last two treasures to open the world and release Zork. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

Tea actually had to think about that. If Zork was released to the world, darkness would basically plague the world into everlasting darkness. She would probably die from that. The good news about that is that she will get the chance to see Leo...

Mana slapped her, "Don't even think about that! We spend more time trying to protect your family than even stopping this useless war! I could have even kill that bastard Marik for what h-" mana stopped right there and reached for the door, " Hehehe...oh just ignore that and I'll just come back to ask you questions...hehehe..." With that said, she left.

Tea just stood there, shocked. It wasn't everyday that she got slapped. Except that time after Leo's funeral, by Lucifer.

**"Kuri?"** Tea turned around to see three different colored fur balls floating on top of her bed with the help of their small white wings. 

**"Kuri kuri!"**

"You're saying you are all...my servants?"

**"Kuri."**

_**"Kuri..."**_

**"Kuri kuri!"**

"Atem is outside the balcony..."

"I told the three of you not to say anything!" A voice came from the balcony of the room.

Mana took a while to get the main hall of the Spring Palace. It was more of a ballroom than a hall. On the floor was Malik, he looked like he was asleep.

Mana took a deep breath, her body glowed a soft purple color and that aura surrounding her went into Malik's body.

"Malik what the hell! I let you control my body to see and talk to Tea and you ended up slapping her!"

"Mana, she wanted to die, give-up, do nothing! Of course I would do something like that. Don't you remember what happened to Celeste?"

"Of course I remember what happened but at least she wasn't a member of the main branch. She gave up...because...well you remembered it well..."

"Celeste died because she gave up. Not only that, but Bakura did get the White Dwarf ring...which of course told him where the Nebula Ring was."

Malik got up and stretched his wings. He didn't want anybody to give up their lives.

"Come one Mana, Mahado is about to announce a meeting taking place in his lab."

"Master is back?!"

"Yeah, like about last nig-oh crud."

"What?"

"I forgot to give Tea her birthday punches...she turns twenty-five today, doesn't she?"

**Since Yuna and Yuji were controlling my body...again...I forgot to to mention something about this chapter...**

**Yuna: Until next chapter folks!!**

**Yuji: Not unless you kill them first...**

**Yuna: turning on the chainsaw**

**Yuji: Running away from his twin**

**...I really do have problems... **


	12. Chapter 12

**Yuna: Damn, Yuji took my chainsaw...**

**Yuji: Yuna, there was no way in hell your going to kill your own twin brother with a chainsaw.**

**Yuna: Fine...oh yeah, readers, since SHINE-AT-SHADE is too much of a coward to tell you guys a question, i'm going to ask you guys the questions.**

**Yuji:If it involves yaoi...**

**Yuna: No! It's not that! Do you guys see Kaiba as a farmer?**

Seto waited for the Captain of the Orange Crest to enter. He was hoping that Lucifer would help him betray the Council to help protect Tea.

When he first met Tea, Seto couldn't help but notice her abilities, even though she was drugged that night. But he sensed her abilities and he was impressed that she quit both Cerulean Flower and being a Law Knight.

Lucifer quickly got inside and sat down across from the older vampire. He was hoping to pick up Tea from Riverside Village in a couple of hours. It's still morning, maybe there was a way for him to not get yelled at for being late...

"You're probably wondering why you here?"

"Listen Seto, it was a good thing to send a text message because I have something to say to you!"

"Oh, is that so…"

"Two nights ago, you were somewhat near Tea, right?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play tricks with me!" Lucifer snarled, while trying to control his temper. "I smelled your scent from her. It was faint but it was just enough for me to notice!"

"Did you smell something else?"

"What did mean by that?"

"Did you smell some other vampire scent that was a bit stronger than my own?"

Lucifer really didn't notice any other scents, only Seto's, maybe Seto is just trying to confuse him. "Listen, I just wanted to know what you were even near her two nights ago!"

Seto took a while to answer. "Why to help her of course. She was being followed by a few level two fox demons. In fact, there were quite a few of them."

"You helped her?" Lucifer asked.

"I sensed she was drugged by something and thought maybe she needed some type of assistance. It would also give me a chance to actually meet her."

"Why would you want to meet her?"

Seto Kaiba smiled. "I was a member of the Izumimiya clan; I still hold my promise to protect the Gardner family."

It really made no sense why members of the Izumimiya clan would separate, create a new family, and help Bakura to create another addition to the Rose Guard by creating the Blue Crest.

Another thing Lucifer doesn't get is why Seto would call him in the first place.

"Now, are you done with your questions Lucifer?"

"Why did you text me?"

"Finally, to the point, Lucifer, as the commander in chief of the Law Knights, what lies did you say about Atem?"

This took him by surprise. Bakura ordered Lucifer to say certain things to the new Knights about the "truth" about Atem. He didn't like the orders one bit.

"Okay, so there are things that I'm not proud of. Or is there a certain lie you're thinking of?"

"Lucifer, what did you tell them about Atem's wings?" Seto asked.

"It holds some type of power. It's pretty powerful."

"But nothing that has to do with time?"

"Seto, maybe you should stop with the questions…I don't time for this. I need to pick up Tea in a few hours."

"Fine. To the real point, Atem, sixteen years from the future, came back to explain to Tea the Destruction war. That's what I wanted to tell you. I was just wondering if she told you about it."

Lucifer couldn't believe it. Leo made him promise not to tell Tea anything about the Destruction War or its origins. It would be likely that she might come up with a plan for revenge. To think, that somebody from the future would actually have the courage to even tell her that. More importantly, it had to be Atem to explain it.

"Earlier that day, before my sister was killed, Atem came to me so that I can know about the situation regarding Tea. I knew that she had no idea about her family history and the power that her necklace has. What pisses me off is you. You knew about her family history, didn't you?"

The young vampire didn't want to answer to Seto. He made a promise, like Seto, and Lucifer intended to keep it. Even if it means not telling Tea about the Destruction War. Her life was bad enough, why involve a war where a stupid council of men brainwash people to get what they want anyway.

"You shouldn't worry about her anyway; she's with Atem of this time period. In the Spring Place" Seto said.

"She is…good. I heard Lisa and Lloyd started the war of Altomare in Riverside Village. Have you heard if she's okay?"

"Tea's fine." Seto stood up to see the gloomy state of Dark City.

With Seto staring outside his office window, Lucifer is free to see around the office. He happened to notice a small frame on a shelf close to Seto's desk.

A young woman with white hair, smiling. She looked beautiful in her long sleeved summer dress. It seemed unusual for Seto to be having that picture in his office. Lucifer thought.

"Kisara…"

"Did you say something Seto?" Lucifer asked.

"Kisara Gardner. Twenty five hundred years ago, I was her protector."

"What happened to her?" This caught the young vampire's attention. He never imagined Seto protecting someone.

"The same fate that will happen to anyone with a treasure, sent to the world where Zork sleeps…"

Tea didn't know what to do. The vampire that she couldn't stop thinking about is closing the window behind him.

"Honestly you three, I wanted to tell her that I was here. Tea…I'm sorry."

"For what?" Tea asked.

"I saw the whole thing. That wasn't really Mana, it was Malik. I told him he had things to do than to see who you are, or even reading your mind. But he did have a point.

Tea, you shouldn't give up that easily. If your confidence is low, than my job of protecting you will be hard because your self esteem issue. I want to protect you with all of my might. Besides, what will your family say if you're going to die by the hands of the Council?"

Tea started to cry. She knows how much she missed Leo but Atem was right. Lucifer was right; having too much bad feelings and ideas bottled up for a long time is really bad for her. "Tea wait…you shouldn't cry…I didn't mean to upset you..." Atem went to comfort her.

"No, that's not it…it's just…" Tea couldn't really explain how weak she must feel without Leo at the moment.

"It's your birthday. It's time to celebrate. If you still feel sad, we could celebrate to- I mean, without any people."

That would keep Tea head clear for a while. Even if it's with a guy that kissed her and now she can't even keep that image out of her head.

"Or would you rather celebrate it here?" Atem pulled out a wrapped box that looked like a birthday present. One of my cousins foresaw you being here for your birthday. So I thought about buying you a gift…"

Tea wiped her eyes to see a blue wrapped box with a shinning white ribbon wrapped around the blue box.

"Go ahead. It's yours…" Atem watched Tea as she sat down to open her gift.

"_**Kuri…**_"

"Oh yes. Tea did you meet Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla?"

"Who?" Tea asked.

"They are your servants for the moment. This is Strawberry,"

"_**Kuri…**_" Said the pink fur ball.

"This is Chocolate,"

"**Kuri kuri!**" Said the brown fur ball.

"…and this is Vanilla."

"**Kuri kuri.**" Said the white fur ball.

"My servants?" Tea really couldn't image these fur balls serving her while she stayed at the palace. Chocolate was nudging her to open the gift. "Okay, okay. I'll open the gift."

While she was opening her gift, Atem couldn't help but stare at Tea. 'She's even more beautiful than I imagined her long ago.'

"Oh my gods, Atem it's beautiful!" Tea was holding a gold locket with small sapphire crystals on top.

"So do you like it?" Atem asked.

"Yes, it's really beautiful." Tea got up and kissed Atem in the cheek. She never received a gift this precious before. It was always some type of ointment of even a weapon. She even thought that her friends see her as a bounty hunter than a young woman.

Atem blushed lightly, even though he was a vampire, he couldn't help but wonder why he would even blush in the first place. "Well, I guess this does call for a celebration. We should get you downstairs to the kitchen to something or at least eat some type of cake."

**Thank you guys for reading this chapter. And Yuna, I'm not a coward!! So stop controlling my body!! And stop showing yaoi pics in my head!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yuna: So people didn't...**

**Yuji: shakes his head**

**SHINE-AT-SHADE: Readers, this chapter contains some Spanish. Both Atem ans Tea do understand, it took me a while to do this right...**

**Yuna:And you call yourself Mexican-American...**

**SHINE-AT-SHADE: SHUT UP!! It took me a while...**

**Yuna: Sad...shaking her head**

**SHINE-AT-SHADE: How did control me since chapter one?**

Tea couldn't help but notice both the palace around her and the cotton dress she was wearing. It was a long white dress. It felt weird wearing it under her white linen robe, it made her feel "royal."

"You look fine Tea."

She made a face, "I'm not used to wearing these types of things…I rather stick to clothes that would actually let me move freely."

Atem chuckled. "You'll eventually get the chance to wear your clothes back, but not right now. It's your birthday; you should be wearing something to celebrate it."

"Isn't the cake and the locket enough?"

The vampire shook his head. "No."

Tea ignored the no and looked around the palace. White marble columns and walls surround them. It looked pretty big to tell if it was the first floor or the second. She was in the main hall and already she thought that this was a joke, a dream. Her family had no connection with these cursed vampires, the Council is a lie and her necklace holds no power to unlock a powerful being to bring the world darkness.

"Here we are and stop being in denial, it won't help me from giving you that cake. Now, if you're done, do have any questions?"

"About what?"

"Anything about this palace. Is there something that you are curious about?"

She really didn't want to know anything about this huge palace. Around them, there were so many people. It wouldn't hurt to say something about how she got to the palace and why were they so many people. Tea then noticed some demons, shape shifters and monsters walking by. Why are all of these beings doing here?

She came up with one, "Is this palace connected somehow? There seems to be many types of beings walking by. Some of them are somehow from different continents of the world."

"This is one of the palaces that are under each of the Five Lands of Earth. This is the Spring Palace, the headquarters of my family since the War began. These people come from different continents to seek refugee. Some come by the other palaces to either pick up some few things to invest in certain markets near the Marketplace. It's just outside of the palace. Any other questions?"

_Why do you even bother getting me presents for my birthday?_ Tea wanted to ask, but she kept that to herself. This felt unsafe for her, she never know what kind what trick this would be. Tea scolds herself for thinking like a bounty hunter. He is supposed to protect her, not kill her.

They've arrived at the dinning hall; it was as big as the main hall. White columns and walls surround a huge dinning table made for many people or creatures. Behind that was a large wooden door, from the smell that's coming from it, it had to be the kitchen Atem was talking about. "Okay, we're here." Atem, acting like a gentleman, pushes the door and lets Tea in the kitchen first.

The kitchen was twice as big as the room that she was sleeping, which was bigger than her apartment (which made Tea feel really cheap). Full of pots and pans, stoves and ovens, even a couple of refrigerators, but it was empty of any cooks that would cook a cake.

"Ey, que te dije? No puedes venir a la cocina en la tarde! Oh, it's just you Atem. Who's that woman with you?" A red-headed woman appeared behind them. She was wearing a white apron over a long black dress. The woman's bright hazel eyes seemed to be brighter than the light from behind her.

"Good it's you. Tea, I want you to meet Camilla; she's the head chief here in the kitchen. Camilla, this is one of the last members of the Gardner family, Tea Gardner. Camilla, I need help finding a pre-made cake for Tea, it's her birthday today."

The chief cook walked to them, in a pissed off mood.

"Atem, I'll find you a cake, after you eat your pill. La ultima cosa que quiero de ti, es un vampiro agarando sangre de los niños. Afuera! Go!"

Tea looked at Atem, who started walking to a cabinet near a random refrigerator, grumbling. She turned to Camilla, "Camilla, was that Spanish you were speaking?"

"Si Tea."

"Then, are you from West America?" Tea asked.

"Pues si Tea. When I sixteen, and was married to my first husband, Santiago, I was captured by a Council member. En ese tiempo, el Council estaba governando America del Oeste."

"Why did the Council want from you?"

"Tea, I overheard something really terrible. You know that the Council of Roses governs a continent once every five other years. When they governed West America, they are basically all dictators. Cuando sabian que supe un secreto…not only did they captured me…but…pero…mataron am mi esposo…mataron a Santiago…"

Tea was struck. Camilla too lost someone special early in her life, but Camilla was actually married. How awful that must feel. Tea knew exactly how Camilla felt. She walked that path before.

"Okay Camilla. I ate that stupid pill. Now can you find a cake for Tea?"

Camilla shook her head. "Perdon Atem, pero no tenemos pasteles por el momento, but I can make one. So Tea, what kind of cake do you want?"

Tea thought for a moment. She was still sad about Camilla's past. She turned to Atem for some help, he just smiled. That same smile Tea couldn't help but blush back in New Day Bar.

"Well…chocolate… a chocolate raspberry cake."

Camilla happily clapped her hands energetically. "Then it's settled. I'll get the ingredients and start working, happy birthday Tea!" She went to the refrigerator and started collecting the ingredients for the cake.

Atem sat down on a random counter. "Camilla is quite something, isn't she?"

Tea nodded. "Though you got to feel sorry for her, for her past."

"At first I did. When the Destruction War started at West America that year, I went with Mahado. It usually gets pretty ugly, especially in the urban areas. When I first heard that the Council captured Camilla, I knew I had to save her. She was going through enough pain already. Then again, I do save anyone who was hurt by the Council. It's not fair for anyone innocent to be hurt by those…pathetic backstab-"

"Ey Atem!" Camilla shouted from across the kitchen, "Stop flirting with Tea y wen a ayudar con el pastel!"

Both Atem and Tea blushed, even though they didn't know why. "C-Camilla, we're not…ah, fine." Atem went to start making the cake while Camilla came to take Atem's place on the counter.

"I know he wasn't flirting you but it ticks me off when he doesn't do something useful while he's around me."

Tea giggled. "I bet he does his own shares around the palace. I'm really sorry for what happened to you."

"Ya olvidetelo Tea. Forget about it, it was all in the past." Camilla looked at her wedding ring. "I met someone else. It was a couple of years after Atem saved me. He was just too good to be true. Ricardo is his name. Ay, Tea, lo amo. Lo amo con todo mi Corazon. That was the same year…Atem told me something interesting." Camilla turned to look at Tea. "Mira hija, I heard about what happened to Leo, but remember: always move on and be happy for what you have. There has to be another person who you can't stop thinking about?"

Tea had to agree. She turned to see Atem, who seemed to be mixing some ingredients together. That night when Old Izumimiya kissed her, she knew it was for whatever stuff for her to drink but to also kiss her? There could have been many different ways for her to drink that potion, why did he choose to kiss her instead?

"Alright, estas lista?"

"What?"

"For switching places with Atem of course. You didn't think I would just leave him doing all the work now would you? Ey, Atem! Tea is going to take over. I feel more secure with a human tasting the cake than a vampire."

"That's cursed vampire to you!" Atem shouted back.

He came rushing to them while Tea goes to finish up the cake.

"Hey, do you think she can cook?" Camilla asked.

"She's twenty-five. I'm sure she can manage."

Camilla turned to Atem, "Ey, you think she's the one for you?"

Atem blushed. "What?!"

"Don't play dumb with me. Twenty years ago, you visit Tea and her parents, remember?"

"I only went to make sure they were safe." Atem said.

"Ya se, I know, but I mean after that. You said you used that other power of yours, to see people's future selves. You told me how beautiful and kind Tea would be, you even added a little too much information on how you felt by that vision…"

Atem cleared his throat, but Camilla was right, he fell in love with Tea's future self. He hoped to be there for her, to wait for her until she grew up so that he can tell her about his feelings.

Until Thomas wanted Tea to have a normal life, Atem knew that everyone in his family would object Thomas' wishes. The leader understood a father knows what's best for his children. The last thing Thomas wanted for his only daughter is to be friends with a cursed vampire.

"Ey Atem, I forgot, why did you fell in love with her anyway?" Camilla asked.

"When I see someone's future self, I see that exact vision. I just fell in love with her kind side, the one who doesn't care who someone's status but their attitude toward others. I wanted to wait by her side to see her grow and be that person."

"So you're saying that she's better than your first wife?"

Atem, unfortunately, loved Tea more than his first love…his wife. He had learned long ago to move on with his immortal life. He wanted to protect Tea even more from Bakura than all the surviving members of the Gardner family combined, perhaps even more from his own family. Atem just wants to be close to her and he knew this was the only chance he has to be close to her.

Camilla didn't wait for a response. She knew what Atem was thinking.

"I think I'm done…" Tea said from across the kitchen.

"A ver hija?" Camilla went to see if the cake was ready to bake. Sure enough, it was. "Good job, buen trabajo. You would make some lover very proud!"

Tea blushed for the complement. She looked at Atem from the corner of her eye, without Camilla looking.

"Kuri!"

"Kuriboh!" Atem quickly grabbed Kuriboh from eating something from a random refrigerator.

"That looks like one of the flying fur balls…I think it was Chocolate." Tea later realized that the fur ball was bigger than Chocolate.

Atem shook his head, "This is just Kuriboh. Your servants, for the moment, are called Winged Kuribohs. There's bit of a difference between the two fiends. If you were still in Cerulean flower, I think you would call this a level one fiend."

"I think I would call it cute." Tea went to pat the small fiend, which made the it feel happy than afraid from the vampire's gripped.

Atem couldn't help but to look at Tea. There was that kindness that Atem was waiting for, the reason he fell in love with her in the first place.

"Oh no." Camilla seemed to be looking for something; it seemed she was having no luck finding it.

"Something wrong Camilla?" Tea asked.

"Ay, queria contrar la crema dulce but…"

"Camilla, if it's frosting your looking for, isn't on the counter over there." Atem was pointing to a counter with jars of different colored frosting.

"Si but I'm out of white frosting. Since the cake is chocolate, I was hoping to add a bit of vanilla frosting, to decorate it." Camilla sighed, "I guess I have to go to the Marketplace to buy some more. Kuriboh!"

"Kuri?"

"Ven con migo. I need someone to come with me, just in case I carry more than I need."

"Kuri…"

Camilla, with her shopping bag, dragged Kuriboh to the kitchen door.

**SHINE-AT-SHADE: Camilla and her husband's are from a drama that I'm watching right now. It's called _Pasion. _It's a Mexican drama but it's good. Too good to be over this Friday...the last episode...T.T**


	14. Chapter 14

**SHINE:...Why did I created you?...**

**Yuna: Because you were bored?...**

**SHINE: All I wanted is for you not to appear in Magical Melody...was that so wrong?**

**Yuna: Yeah. I mean, Kaiba had weapons in his barn! How could give a rich guy weapons?!**

**SHINE:...Readers...who actually read this story...even with Yuna's loud mouth...my computer had a virus a couple of days ago...so updating will become a problem. This includes for Magical Melody, for you those you actually read that one.**

Atem and Tea both watched Camilla dragged Kuriboh out the kitchen door. Now they were alone, with the company of an unfinished cake.

"The frosting jars are over there right?" Tea asked. She didn't mind if the cake was white, or even black, she just wanted to eat it. It felt as if she didn't ate anything for days.

"You're not going to wait for Camilla?"

Tea shook her head, "I just want to eat my birthday present, before I faint from hunger." She walked to the jars. In the jars were many variety of frosting, she didn't know which one to decorate her cake with.

"Maybe blue or red?"

"Blue is on my mind, but I think I'll choose orange, with a bit of blue."

"A chocolate raspberry cake, with orange and blue frosting…so much for a pure white cake…"

"It's my birthday; I think I can decide how to decorate a cake. Besides, I'm not that normal to decide that I wanted a white cake." Tea grabbed the jar that contained the orange frosting. She then tried to open it, without any luck.

"Need a hand birthday girl?"

"I can…manage…" She took a deep breath, with one hard turn, she didn't open the jar.

"Are you sure Tea?"

Tea didn't need any help. She didn't need help defeating the demon she killed in Dark City, why would she need help opening a jar? "I can do this without your…" Then she remembered.

It was in Dark City that she met Old Izumimiya, he came down from where ever he was hiding, behind the demon's dead body…maybe she needs the help after all.

After one final try on opening the jar.

She started to concentrate, Tea could easily use her "abilities" that she learned from Cerulean Flower, but she couldn't risk it for some reason. She could use her handgun, which she carefully hid it under her dress, but that would be too much.

One final breath, with all her strength, she tried to turn the lid of the jar.

It was slowly opening. This made Tea happy, too happy. She was so excited that jar was opening that she didn't realize she used too much strength, that same strength that made the frosting fly, onto Atem's face.

Tea's jaw dropped. She was scared what the vampire might do to her since almost all of the orange frosting was covering Atem's face. It took a couple of minutes for Tea's fear to be gone, after that, she started laughing.

"…You think it's funny huh?" Atem wasn't really bothered by the frosting on his face, but it did seem unfair that he was the only one being frosted. He reached his hand toward the jar contained blue frosting. Tea knew where this was headed.

"Oh come on! I didn't know that I was going to hit you with that!" Atem started to walk forward. It took a couple of seconds for Tea to start running.

It really wasn't that bad for the two of them. They were having fun, having fun throwing frosting at each other. Tea really didn't remember how much fun was fun. It was always checking that Dark City had no "invaders," always hunting for level two demons for money and always being a double crosser for both the Law Knights and Cerulean Flower for New Wings. But she never expected having fun throwing frosting at a vampire leader that was supposed to protect her from some great evil. She will never forget about the Great Frosting War In the Kitchen.

"So do you agree Lucifer?" Seto just asked an important decision for Lucifer to make. To become this year's Black Petals.

Sixth Petal Lucifer had to agree. Every year, two members of the Rose Guard always became traitors to the Council of Roses. Lucifer didn't notice that until Seto told him about Lilac and Leo. Both of them became didn't obey any orders from the Council, they were saving people. This just left the other two Captains to do all the work.

"Lucifer, this is a great opportunity for you. Not only are you the Captain of the Orange Crest, you are a member of the Council. That Bakura will have no power over you. The Black Petals were founded to save those people with connections to the Gardner family and the treasures, in spite of having connections with the Council. Lucifer, this can help Tea so much."

That was one thing that Lucifer hated about being in the Black Petals, helping Tea. He knew that she would just push him away. If what Seto said was true, and she was with Atem in the Underground Palace, than she would be pissed. Pissed on Lucifer for not telling her anything about the Destruction War, her necklace and mostly everything about her own life.

"Seto, I would agree. Not because I want to help Tea, but end this miserable war and this awful government." Lucifer stood up and held his hand up. Seto did the same, they both shook their hands. "I guess I'm Black Petal now…seems weird."

"What do mean weird?"

Lucifer hesitated to answer. "Is the door unlocked?"

"Yes it is…why?"

Lucifer took a deep breath. "That you even protected a girl when you were a member of the Izumimiya family…" He ran to the door.

Seto made a face. In a couple of second, the gold winged vampire left his office, probably out the building if Lucifer really thought that Seto would come and kill him. Seto sighed.

Leo used to do that. Always making fun of Seto's past.

Seto started to walk out of his office when he notices the picture of Kisara. He reached for it. "Kisara, do you think I did the right thing?" He kissed the picture of the woman he once loved.

Even as a vampire, Lucifer still took a deep breath. It was completely useless, but it always made him feel better. Leo would always say that making fun of Seto's past would make anyone's day and it did.

Lucifer was finally out of the Blue Crest HQ. The sun was setting, which means that he had to make another check on his Law Knights. Being the Captain of the Orange Crest means checking on the Law Knights and to see if they are ready to protect Dark City in the night. Something he really didn't like doing since he was announce as the new Sixth Petal.

There was one thing he liked about being the captain; he smiled when he remembered the first day on the job.

To train Tea nine years ago.

**I had a bit of a problem with this chapter. At first, I wanted both of them to fight, like a real fight, but with weapons. Atem would show off with his sword and Tea with her lance. Then a couple of weeks ago, in my Earth Science class, my teacher threw frosting at a student, that was after the student threw the cake at his face. Since I wanted to show that Tea had a somewhat fun side to her, I think a frosting war was a better option.**

**Yuna:...so much for a chainsaw war...**

**SHINE:... **


	15. Chapter 15

**Yuna: This author does not own YGO, the name Altomare, the name Magvel...what else...oh and West America, because I rule and dictate that continent.**

**Yuji:...SHADE...please...get rid of her...**

**Yuna:...now for something serious. Right now the author is having family issues that might delay updates in LTE (Legend of the Twin Eclipse...LTE looks soo cool ) and Magical Melody. Add up with that stupid virus in her computer and you have a lazy high school girl.**

**Yuji:You can do it SHINE!!**

**Yuna: Readers, who actually read this fanfic, give support to her right now, she needs it...aww crap...Yuji, knock her out of it!**

**Yuji:...I can't...**

"I won!!"

"No, you didn't Atem!!"

"Tea, you tripped on the black frosting, which automatically made me the winner."

"Because you threw way more frosting than necessary!!"

"Fine, it's a draw…I still think that I won…"

For about an hour, Atem and Tea were in battle, using nothing but frosting. It was a lot of fun for Tea. Not even Leo could made her laugh for a long period of time.

Now, they were out of frosting, they still had some frosting left, but it was all over the kitchen floor. Tea took a minute to see where else the frosting that they threw landed. It landed basically all over the kitchen…if Camilla was harsh on people coming in her kitchen, Tea didn't want to see how pissed off Camilla would be if she saw all the frosting.

"Do you want to eat your cake now?" Atem pointed towards the cake, which was left undamaged by the frosting's wrath.

"So much for the frosting…"

"Do you still want to eat it without the frosting? The raspberries in between the layers have a bit of jelly that would help with control the overwhelming flavor of the chocolate flavor."

Tea smiled. "That would do fine."

Atem blushed when he saw Tea's smile, he turned the other way.

"You okay?"

The vampire nodded. "Yeah, just, don't mind me…Do you want to eat it in the courtyard? It's just behind the kitchen." He pointed to another door; it was barely visible since it could be easily confused for one of the many refrigerators.

This troubled Tea for a bit. She knew that this was the Underground Palace, what lay outside of the palace frighten her.

"…Okay…" She wanted to slap herself for saying yes. She only had a gun with her, for all she knew, there could be danger outside the palace.

Atem quietly gathered the things they needed to eat the cake: forks, plates, a couple of napkins and finally a blanket. This made Tea's feeling grow even worse. It all sounded too…romantic…

Tea had to think of something quick to get her flushed face away from Atem's sight. She knew Atem had a lot of stuff to carry, so she carefully took the naked cake and followed Atem to the courtyard.

The courtyard was huge. It was ten times bigger than Tea's apartment, maybe even her apartment complex (which made Tea feel even cheaper than ever…). It was more like a meadow than a courtyard: sakura trees on the top of the small hills, small creeks rushing through the courtyard as if being chased by an unknown force. The thing that really caught Tea's attention is the vines attached to the walls of the palace and what appears to be the wall of the outside gate. Flowers were growing out of the vines, flowers that bring small bits of light around it. There seems to be a lot of them, but something wasn't right. How can those small flowers bring light around the palace that was underground?

"I think you should grab my hand." Atem moved closer to Tea, while taking her hand. "Now, take a deep breath, relax, and look up."

Tea really didn't know what else to do, instead of blushing; she took a minute to look up. It literally took her breath away.

Stars. A lot of them, all above her. Tea didn't know why she would have to hold Atem's hand to see a bunch of stars. It took a while, but she understood. She tightens the grip when she saw the cave worms from afar. For her, it was disgusting, yet the worms did look to be peaceful.

"Those are the Titiwai, they have been here for as long as my family has been here. There are like "cousins" to us. We treat them with respect and not kill them; in return, they use their silk to light up our "sky". All those little specs of light are just nests made out of silk that help them catch their prey. It may look pretty, but it's dangerous for their prey. For the prey are easily pulled by the light of the silk. What the prey doesn't know is that the worms are ready to devour them. Don't worry, they won't come down and scare the hell out of us, if that's what you're thinking. Some of them do fly, but they are poor fliers."

Tea wasn't thinking about that at all, until Atem brought out the point of the worms actually falling down on them. It made her shudder in fear, and in disgust.

She immediately walked to an area where it seemed quiet, and not disgusting, enough to eat the cake. Atem, chuckling, followed her.

They set up the blanket and everything under a sakura tree. Maybe the pink petals that were falling would get Tea's mind out of the cave worms. The thought of the cave worms falling down made her shudder again; she immediately began eating the cake.

Both of them ate the cake with silence, which seemed to last for eternity.

It seemed strange, one of them in love with the other and vise versa. Right now, both are asking the question: why now and why not back then? Why would they fall in love in a time like this?

Atem broke the silence, "Do you want to see your third present?"

Tea sighed in relief for the end of the silence; it was the question that got her to hesitate. "I don't really need more presents. I mean, I get the cake but the necklace was a bit too much, no offence. I really don't need all this…." Atem slowly got up for his spot and stared at the wall of the palace gate. From where they both are, it seemed huge; Tea couldn't imagine how huge the wall really is. Vines climb everywhere; flowers grow out of the vines that seemed to grab her attention. The flowers glow a small radiant light. Put all the flowers together and they would probably light up the entire cave, or whatever underground place they would be in.

"Tea, I want to show you a place I showed your father and almost every relative before your father. Tea, if it wasn't for your family, my family, my clan, would be working for Bakura. We needed Trinity and Thebes to survive our first years as vampires. What I wanted to show you is a place where we hold that word, m-our promise on protecting your family for many generations to come."

Tea could see that Atem was serious. She felt hurt when he said something about her father, a father that wanted her to grow up without Atem in her life. Now, after getting to know Atem better, even though she knows a bit about him since that day, Tea was angry at her father for keeping something so important that might help in stopping a stupid government with their stupid war.

With pride, she stood up and nodded, "Okay, let's go!"

Atem smiled, "I'll send Kuriboh to your room later in the night."

"Why in the night?"

"The place would look even more beautiful in the night. Your servants would probably be ready with your bed arrangements right about now, so you should get some rest. Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

Tea lightly blushed and turned her head away, "…It's fine, I'll fine my way."

Atem shook her head, "Tea, you were a bounty hunter once. There are beings that are sought out by Cerulean Flower; I think it's best if I take you to your room."

"Then why ask me in the first place?"

The cursed vampire blushed, he also turned his head away, "…Can we just go now?"

**SHINE:...Titiwai means "projected over water"...I don't know why...it took me-I can't do this anymore...**

**Yuna: That's it!! I'm taking over for the rest of the chapters!! Five or six chapters are left. I'll try to make her finsh up before her school year ends...in three weeks!!**

**Yuji: She won't make it...**

**Yuna: ...Fine, maybe before her mom's b-day...**

**Yuji:...That's in four weeks...**

**Yuna:...Your not helping with the positive part big bro!! Until next chapter people XD!!**

**Yuji: Until next chapter!! **

**Yuji:...Yeah, next chapter !!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Yuna: Her problems are done...except SASSY here got herself a Nintendo Wii...**

**SHINE: It was your idea!!**

**Yuna: While you were playing Wii Tennis, you could have spent the time writing this chapter. **

**SHINE: Hey, this one is the longest chap-hey, you were playing too!**

**Yuna: So?**

**Y****uji: While these two go at it, please enjoy this chapter fellow readers.**

If there wasn't something hitting the window, Tea would have had the chance of falling asleep. But no. Her servants went to check what it was, while her face is buried deeply in a pillow.

"**Kuri…**"

"**Kuri Kuri!!**" Vanilla noticed something and flew toward Tea. Rocks were being thrown at the window.

"Who would do that…?" Slowly, hoping that it won't scare her servants, Tea pulled out her gun from under her pillow, and walked to the window. Chocolate opened the window that lead to the balcony when Tea heard some children shouting.

"I can't believe you did it again!!"

"Master Mana is soooo disappointed in you, Master Mahado!!"

Tea crawled on all fours, trying not to get hit by the flying rocks, to see who would throw rocks late in this hour. Luckily there was a chair that she used to hide from what sounded like two girls, both sounded quite pissed off about something.

"If you don't tell her now, then you never will!!"

"How are you a great magician that you let that have the best of you and not notice Miss Ishizu?!"

Tea quickly went into her room to change to something more appropriate, her nightgown was too transparent. Chocolate and Vanilla gave her the clothes that were in her backpack, a plain blue T-shirt and black jeans, just something normal for once.

The two girls were still throwing rocks at the window. "C'mon, get out here and say why you didn't tell your feelings to Miss Ishizu?"

Tea was getting tired of this. So much for sleeping. "Knock it off!!" With a small sprint and a jump from the balcony, she landed about a foot from where the girls are. "I don't think throwing rocks at a window will make a person tell his feelings to the one he loves."

One of the girls started to run, but her twin got hold of her robe. "I knew you were wrong Teti!!" To Tea she said, "Sorry to startled you this late at night Miss.-"

"Tea, my name is Tea Gardner…have we met before?" Tea looked at both twins, one after another. They both had long brunette hair tied up in a blue satin ribbon. Unlike the other people with beige robes, the little girls had blue robes. It matched their blue eyes perfectly. They somehow looked familiar.

"My name is Mira-Gardner!!" The girl set free her captive twin and was shocked.

"Um…sis…I told you, remember? Our Cousin Tea from the main branch was staying in the…royal wing…Wait a minute!!"

"I told you Teti, this was the royal wing!!"

"Then why the hell didn't you stop me from throwing those rocks!! Even you threw some rocks!!"

"…I just wanted to practice my aiming…" Now Tea remembered.

"Miranda, is it really you?"

Tethys, or Teti, blinked. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you."

"Of course you don't remember Teti. You never been to Ribboncut Park when we were kids, but I remember…"Miranda wanted to finish her sentence, but she started to cry. "Tea it's not fair!"

"Mira…" Teti hugged her sister. "Tea, if you met Mira, then you must have met Papa…"

Tea nodded.

"He was killed last month…" Teti started to cry along with her sister.

The twins ran towards Tea and hugged her fiercely. "Theodore…is dead…" The words were stabbing Tea in her heart. Her Uncle Teddy was the only other family member she ever met. "Who killed him?" She had an idea of who it was, but she wanted the twins to tell her.

"I he-heard from Mah-Mahado…it was…the-the White Slayer…"

"So I've heard." Atem, out of nowhere, was walking toward them. Instead of the robe he was wearing a long black coat, with matching pants and boots. "What are you two up this late at night?"

Teti wiped the tears from her eyes. "We wanted to talk to Mahado…he did it again didn't he Atem? Why can't he tell his feelings to Miss Ishizu?"

Atem shook his head. "There are things in life that is better left unsaid. Besides, Mahado has important business to deal with than to figure out what went wrong in his love life."

"How did you know where we were Atem?" Mira said.

"A flying hair ball told me." Tea's servant, Strawberry, was on his shoulder. "She had quite a fright when she told me," he stared at Tea, "that her master had a gun in her hand."

Tea laughed in embarrassment. "I know it wasn't necessary…but I got scared…"

Atem chuckled. "Don't worry, there isn't anyone here in the Underground that would harm you Tea. You have my word."

Both twins started to giggle. "What's so funny you two?"

"Nothiiiinnnggg" Mari and Teti started to walk away until Teti shouted, "Where's the magician's wing?"

Atem pointed the way, but before the girls got the chance to run, he quickly got in their way. "This time, use some small fire balls to get his attention. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't hear all that racket since he's meditating right now with his ears all shut up, remember, he doesn't sleep."

"Okay!" Miranda and Tethys both hugged Atem and ran towards the Magician's Wing.

"You actually gave them some advice?"

"They've got a point… I guess I should have told you."

"Told me what?"

"Theodore died."

"Oh…" Tea bit the inside of her mouth, hoping her feelings won't be shown. A small habit she learned to deal with loses.

"You okay?" Atem quickly held her hand, hoping it would help.

"Yeah, just surprised…were we supposed to go somewhere?" She wanted, needed, to change the subject.

"We sure are. Have you heard of a forest called Brightleaf?"

"May I have everyone's attention?"

Outside of Dark City, in a small town of Cross Fang, lay the headquarters of the Orange Crest. A mansion-like building, founded by the First Petal Bakura, it was basically Lucifer's home, nothing else.

Now, in front of his followers, he needed their support. After his talk with Seto, Lucifer wanted to know if they would volunteer to betray the Council and work for the Black Petals…

"Come on people…LISTEN UP!!" Luckily he has his right-hand vampire Elena to help him with this new mess of his.

"Thanks Elena. People I need your support on something, but before I go any further…I got demoted to Seventh Petal-"

"What!!"

"Are you serious!!"

"I won that bet…"

"Idiot!!"

Lucifer pouted. "I don't see any of you doing anything stupid to piss of your boss. Besides, it was bound to happen….so Jack…how much did you bet?"

"Lucifer."

"Oh yeah, back to subject. Have any of you heard of the Black Petals?" He had one hundred followers, about half of them raised their hands. "Wow…how did you al-you too Elena?"

The short haired blond said shyly, "I was your brother's right hand for several centuries. That's how I became friends with Seto's right hand, Qing."

"Oh…"

"The thing that surprises me is the fact that you didn't know anything about the Black Petals, and you were Leo's little brother."

"He kept his work to himself all his life.

"This year, both Blue Crest and Orange Crest will join forces to create this year's Black Petals. You all have the option to tattle to Siegfried or even Bakura, I don't care. I believe that this year will be it, why?" Lucifer nodded to Elena.

"Don't freak out people, but many members of the Floor of Arts have predicted Twin Eclipse." The entire hall exploded in confusion and fear.

"I knew this would happen…" Lucifer covered his face with his hands.

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't say that story about the world covered in werewolves."

"I thought it would be funny."

"You are an idiot…"

"When I was a little girl, my father would take me there. It was just outside of Ribboncut Park. It wasn't until I got older that the forest was shrinking. Before I knew it, it was gone, like it vanished."

"It's dying."

"It's dying?"

Atem wanted to tell the whole thing but he didn't know how. It was difficult to concentrate on the question and driving in the middle of the night while avoiding any demons or monsters. If he wanted to say why Brigthleaf is dying, he would do it right.

"…Nice Jeep…" Tea didn't know if Atem heard her question, nor does she want to ask again. She saw in his face that he was bothered by it.

If was a couple of minutes after Miranda and Thethys left to bother the magician did Atem took Tea out of the Palace and into the Marketplace. They actually caught up with Camilla and regular Kuriboh, she was still looking for the vanilla icing. Atem pointed out that Camilla really likes looking at the newest fashion that people from around the world have brought to sell.

"It's a habit." Camilla admitted.

After that, they took a short walk out of the Marketplace. What lay beyond the Marketplace seemed like a regular cave.

Except for the huge iron doors at the end of it.

Atem took a pyramid-shaped necklace that he was wearing. "Only few people are allowed to go through this door, for safety reasons."

"Where does it lead to?"

"You'll see."

Before Tea knew it, Atem was flying toward the top of the door. A loud click echoed the cave and the huge doors open.

"Hold my hand." He swoops down and took her hand. She started to think, did he liked holding her for whatever reason?

They walked to an area that's covered in ruined stone buildings and sand. The Ruins. At least she did what Lucifer told her to. While she was impressed by herself, Atem disappeared and reappeared with a red Jeep Wrangler out of nowhere. Tea couldn't help but whistle.

"It helps to have a vehicle that actually lets you drive through dirt and stone."

It's been half an hour since then. Thirty minutes of small talk and silence. They couldn't take it anymore. Something was telling them that something bad is about to happen. It needs to be spoken of.

But they didn't know how…

"We're here…" Atem said as he drives into the desert.

'Thank the gods.' Tea thought. Something was actually happening. Though it wasn't what her gut told her earlier…

The Jeep stopped in the middle of the desert. Without a roof, Atem was able to fly out of it, and landed next to Tea. "Oh…my…is that the forest, is that Brightleaf?"

Atem smiled. "The one and only. Come on, the forest won't bite." He took her hand to help her get out of his Jeep.

"Atem, it's okay, I can get out mys-" Tea tripped while getting out and landed on top of Atem.

For what seemed like eternity, again, they didn't move. They were both staring at each other. Hidden feelings from long ago and feelings from just a few days ago were starting to leak out. It showed from their faces.

"Are you alright, Tea?" Atem whispered.

"I think I am…are you okay?" Tea whispered back. "Should I get off?…am I heavy?..." She quickly jumps away and stared aimlessly at the forest, hoping it would help reduce the redness on her face. "We should get this over with. It looks like it's almost dawn."

"We really should…" Disappointment covered all over him. He swore to himself for making the situation awkward. Why in the world did he ask her in a weird whisper?

After a couple of seconds of slow recovery, they started to walk to the forest. It was just like how Tea remembered the forest, except it wasn't like any other forest: everything about this forest had what a forest would consider to be normal. Same color trunk, leaves, normal branches and roots. It wasn't until you entered the forest that its wonder and magic would reveal itself to its visitors.

"Be careful with the branches, some of them are so weak that it could easily snap off."

"How is the forest dying?"

"How is it dying…well, how should I put this….you could say that this forest is the heart of Altomare, and the treasures are the body. If the body isn't well taken care of, the heart begins to weaken."

They were silent after an answer to a question.

Atem took Tea to a tree that seems to be bigger than the others, way bigger. The inner child in Tea began take over, and ran to the huge tree. Like the other trees, this one had Crystal Flowers everywhere. With the flowers, the tree has the most powerful glow than any other tree in the forest, the same glow from back when Tea was a child. That made her happy.

"I never realized that this tree would still be living. Ever since the forest began to shrink, I always thought that the big one died along with the others." She twirled around the tree, hoping to let the glow of the trees around engulf her.

The color of the trees, sky and ground would change color when the flowers change color. One minute it's orange, while the other is blue.

"Fortunately, this big one has lived through hell for these past centuries. A lot has happened under its branches."

Tea picked a flower from the big one's branch. "I know I shouldn't but father always told me that picking a flower from the Big One grants you any wish. Or if you want, the flower may give you good luck." She climbed down and sat at a root. "I still can't believe that he's dead…"

Atem quietly sat next to her, he then gently pulled her to him. "It's not fair Atem. Why would he do this? Why is Bakura killing people just to get what he wants? It isn't fair…"

Atem couldn't answer. For the past five millennia, many people ask him that question. Why would Bakura kill innocent people just to get what he wants?

The answer is quite simple: It's because he can and he wants to.

He kept that to himself.

That wasn't important right now. They were both alone in a beautiful forest, Tea is holding one of the most beautiful flowers in all of Altomare and that flower is almost begging for Tea's true beauty to show. If her hair wasn't in the way, she even more beautiful than ever.

He had to tell her now.

If he doesn't, he never will.

With one deep breath, he got up and kneeled down in front of Tea. "Tea, if I don't to this now, I never will. So I'm going to say this right now…

Tea, I love you.

I always had. When your father told me that I couldn't protect you, I was furious, but my father had other plans. He found a way that I can at least see you but only once. It was when you were five, I sneaked into your room and I performed this spell. I saw your future, Tea, you looked so beautiful I immediately feel in love.

I wanted to be there, be there when Leo died, be there when your parents died…but I couldn't…I just couldn't…" Atem started to cry. All this time, he finally said his hidden feelings. Now comes the hard part: how is Tea going to react?

Tea was just staring at the flower. She just heard someone confessing their feelings. Lucifer would do this every now and then, but he doesn't mean. So Tea didn't know what to do or say. It was how she reacted with Leo.

'Okay, it's whether telling him how I feel, or ignore everything he said and tell hi-oh what's the use, I'll tell him how I feel too…what's that?' Tea sensed something. Atem got up, he probably sensed it too.

"Dammit! Tea stay here!" Atem took off his coat, the strap around his body revealed a sword in its sheath, he slowly took it out.

"Oh Atem, how long has it been? Three centuries?" A figure began to appear. A long haired man wearing a long robe walked slowly toward them. Tea didn't know if it was the glow from the flowers or the man was wearing nothing but violet. His long hair was even violet.

"Siegfried…how did you find us here?!"

"A little birdie told me, but enough of this, I have some stealing to do and I need to kill someone before Twin Eclipse occurs. You do know when that happens, do you Atem?"

The cursed vampire didn't answer, he just looked at his sword.

"Atem, what does he mean by that?"

"I see, so you're Tea Gardner…both Leo and Lucifer told me all about you. You just turned twenty-five didn't you?"

"How did…you're the Ruler of the Orange Crest, Siegfried."

Fourth Petal Siegfried grinned. "And a member of the Council of Roses." He turned to Atem. "But like I said, I have someone I need to kill!" With one beat of his violet wings, he flew to Atem, with his long nails ready to kill.

Atem blocked the nails before it could reach his chest. While both vampires were fighting, Tea was doing nothing but watching the two of them going at it. She felt helpless. She also wanted to know how Siegfried knew about her…Tea reminded herself to talk to Lucifer later.

"Interesting…you still hold all of your power within you…why don't you use it!" Siegfried almost scratched Atem but Atem was faster and dodged right on time. "How would your servants react to all this?"

"They are not servants! And I've told you this already for the millionth time!"

"Ah yes…why don't you tell Tea that…tell her the real truth about her family and their real ties to you…"

"That's enough!" Atem swing his sword with all his might, but like him, Siegfried was fast too.

"Ah well, it's your lose…" Siegfried backed away from Atem, with one whisper, he was able to perform a spell to knock Atem to the floor. Atem's chest had one big scratch, and it was bleeding heavily.

"Atem!!" Tea rushed over to Atem. From her purse, she took out a hankerchief.

"Tea no, not now. I can take it, besides, the wound will heal pretty quickly."

"What, but you're hurt! I can't just stand by and see you bleed, even if you are a vampire…besides…you aren't a real vampire."

"Tell that to the pink-haired freak…"

"…I think I know…I think I know how you can beat him. You're going to need all of you speed and maybe your wings…"

"I can fly without using my wings…"

"I know…I just think its wrong for you to show off while other people hope with all their might to have the ability to fly…"

"Okay…so how do I beat him."

Tea didn't answer. She just watched Siegfried sharpening his long nails against each other. She took Atem's hand and held it close to her. She closed her eyes.

"What are you…doing?" He closed his eyes too. She was saying something, in his mind. Tea is talking to Atem using his ability of telepathy.

"Are you guys done? I know I am…" With a shrug, Siegfried slowly walked towards them…

"Nice plan Tea." Atem took moment to grip his sword, this wouldn't be easy. As he got up, he unleashed his black wings from within him. He was ready.

Atem quickly flew to his opponent, grabbed his neck, and sent him flying towards the sky. Siegfried quickly recovered, he was ready for anything Atem would do to him. While Atem pointed his sword at him, Siegfried pointed all five of his nails at Atem. He was getting close to his target, that's when the forest turned black. Siegfried felt his nails digging through something…he felt feathers and bones…

"This is the end..." With one powerful thrust, Atem force his sword into Siegfried. "White Night!!" A brilliant light shined around them. Siegfried was being evaporated.

"You did it!" Tea happily ran to the surviving vampire while he flew down.

"I saw Leo doing something like that once…never thought I would do something like that…at the cost of one of my wings."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really. Though I don't really feel it…it had to be my left wing…"

"I'm sorry…but it killed him…Oh gods!"

"What?"

"He's also a member of the Council?! Wow…I never imagined that I would be responsible to the death of one of those low lives…"

"You'll get used to it." He lazily sat down on a root.

Tea couldn't help but to look at his damaged wing. She could see that it was healing itself, but it looked like it will take some time before it would be completely healed.

There was something on her mind.

How is going to respond back to him about her own feelings?

She could just tell him right now or she could tell him later.

"Atem?"

"Yes?"

"I want to end this war." Not something she wanted to say, but it was better than nothing. "I know a little about Siegfried, he had a younger brother right? And he was executed because someone accused him for political treason. That wasn't fair. Leonhart was just telling people about his own views on the Council and the Rose Guard. And Lilac…for some damn reason, she got killed. She was admired by all, even though she is a member of an "evil" organization and "evil" family. But most importantly, Leo died…because he wanted to marry me…he got executed…I never knew why…until I found out about my family…I always kept that in the back of my head ever since four days ago…"

Atem pulled her to him and made her sit on his lap.

"It just wasn't fair…please Atem…help me stop this war…make everyone in the world realize that these past centuries, the Council of Roses were using them to get what they want. Will you help me Atem…please?"

"Tea, of course I will. It would honor me…" He looked at her, at her tear smeared face, and lightly kissed her.

It was him. They were the same person. This Atem was like the one that told her everything. This was the man she fell in love with at first sight. He looked older back in the bar but it was all spell. To her at least…

"I promise…I'll tell you how fell..."

Atem frowned. He gently stood up, with Tea in his arms. "I sense something outside the forest…"

"What?" Just like in the past, something got in the way of her confession.

Life is unfair.

**Yuji: Thank you for reading this chapter. For those of you who read Magical Melody, don't worry, that non-sense of a fanfic would be updated soon.**

**Yuna: Don't forget to read Just Vanilla for those of you who hadn't read it yet.**

**Yuji: Weren't you fighting with SHINE?**

**Yuna: She's too busy playing _WII TENNIS!!_**

**Yuji:...Then why are you holding the remote?**

**Yuna: Ahhhh...see you next time readers!! **

**SHADE: Yuna give me back the remote!!**


End file.
